Responding to an SOS call, Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters carried out an urgent medical evacuation of four NCC women cadets in Ladakh who were participating in the all-India NCC women cadets high-altitude trek, Aparajita.The IAF’s Siachen Pioneers helicopter unit, based at Leh, undertook the daring first-light mission at an altitude of 18,500 feet, where low air density, difficult terrain and the absence of a helipad posed significant operational challenges.The crew executed a precise landing and safely evacuated the four cadets to Leh for further medical care.The expedition comprises three women officers and 28 girl cadets, with an average age of 19 years. The youngest participant is 16-and-a-half years old. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the expedition from New Delhi on August 18.The 30-day trek covers around 250 km through some of the most remote areas of the Himalayas. The route includes Kibber, Dumla, Thaltak, Bongrojen, Parang La Pass, Dak Karzong, Norbu Sumdo, Kiangdom and Korzok, traversing high-altitude deserts, glaciers, snowfields and river valleys.The expedition involves negotiating the 18,300-foot Parang La Pass, which connects Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley with Ladakh’s Changthang region. It is regarded as one of the country’s most challenging high-altitude treks.“This time-critical mission stands testimony to the IAF’s professionalism as first responder role both during war and peace,” a defence spokesperson at Leh said.The IAF and Army Aviation Corps are regularly called upon to undertake rescue and evacuation missions in mountainous terrain involving military personnel and civilians in distress.The harsh climate and high altitude of Ladakh pose significant medical challenges for personnel deployed in the region. Civilians can also require evacuation after being stranded by landslides and avalanches or due to medical emergencies arising from low oxygen levels and inclement weather.The IAF’s 114 Helicopter Unit, the Siachen Pioneers, is equipped with Cheetah light helicopters and tasked with operations in the Siachen Glacier, where flying at the outer limits of aircraft performance in extreme conditions is routine.Raised at Leh in April 1964, the unit has supported Indian Army posts in the Siachen sector since April 1984, when Operation Meghdoot was launched to occupy the Siachen Glacier. The operation is the world’s longest-running military operation.Though ageing, the unit’s helicopters routinely operate from rugged and often snowbound terrain at altitudes of up to 20,000 feet, undertaking critical air maintenance, supply drops, casualty evacuations and search-and-rescue missions.