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The Indian Air Force

Last updated on January 30, 2024 by ClearIAS Team

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the Air wing of the Indian armed forces. Its objective is to ensure the Indian airspace and to engage in aerial warfare during a conflict.

India Air Force is the fourth largest in the world after the USA, China, and Russia.

Table of Contents

Indian Air Force

IAF or the Bharatiya Vayu Sena was initially established as an auxiliary air force unit of the Royal Air Force of Britain. The title Royal was given to the Air Force in honor of India’s aviation service during World War II .

The name Royal Airforce was kept until India had dominion status. As the government transitioned to a republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.

The President of India holds the rank of supreme commander or Commander-in-chief of the IAF. The operational command of the Air Force lies with the Chief of Air Staff, an air chief marshal, who is a four-star officer.

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The rank of Marshal of the Air Force is a five-star rank and has been conferred by the President of India on one occasion in history, to Arjan Singh.

The motto of the IAF is ‘Nabhah Sparhsam Diptam’ which is taken from the Bhagavad Gita, and means to ‘Touch the sky with glory’

Since 1950, the IAF has been a part of four wars with Pakistan. They have also played an important role in other major operations like Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Cactus, and Operation Poomalai.

They engage on international and humanitarian levels in the national interest, by participating in UN peacekeeping missions.

History of the Indian Air Force

IAF was officially established on 8 th October 1932 as an auxiliary arm of the Royal Air Force of Britain. This was stipulated by the Indian Air Force Act of 1932.

The first aircraft flight came into being on 1 st April 1933 when its first squadron of 4 Westland Wapiti airplanes was commissioned. It included 5 Indian pilots led by a British officer.

During World War II, the IAF played a key role in stopping the Japanese advance in Burma. Arjan Singh was a flight lieutenant during this mission and went on to become India’s first and only Marshal of the Air Force.

In 1943, the first flying school was established in Ambala to provide basic and advanced training for IAF pilots.

IAF after independence

Immediately after independence, during partition, the Royal Indian Air Force provided effective logistics support and transport to Indian troops. But there was no direct air-to-air combat with the Pakistani air force.

1960: IAF activated the No. 5 Squadron to support the United Nations operation in Congo when Belgium’s 75-year rule ended abruptly causing widespread violence.

1961: IAF played a very important role in the annexation of Goa from the Portuguese. This was called Operation Vijay, where IAF provided support to the ground forces.

1962: During the Sino-Indian War of 1962, India ended up losing significantly Chinese as the military planners failed to effectively use the IAF.

1965: IAF engaged the enemy air force quite effectively during the Indo-Pak war of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War. The IAF was successful in preventing the Pakistan Air Force from gaining air superiority.

The IAF changed to improve its capabilities after the 1965 war. The Para Commandos regiment was created in 1966 to increase its logistics supply and rescue operations ability. India started to put more stress on the indigenous manufacture of fighter aircraft.

1971: During the Indo-Pak War of 1971 or the Bangladesh Liberation War, the role of the IAF was very crucial. IAF carried out numerous sorties and even supported the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. IAF has complete air superiority during the conflict.

After the 1971 war with Pakistan, the IAF received the highest award for gallantry in India , the Param Vir Chakra which was awarded posthumously to Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon.

1984: India launched Operation Meghdoot to capture the Siachen Glacier in the contested Kashmir region. In Op Meghdoot, IAF’s Mi-8, Chetak, and Cheetah helicopters airlifted hundreds of Indian troops to Siachen.

1987: Operation Poomalai or Eagle Mission 4 was the codename assigned to a mission undertaken by the IAF for airdropping supplies over the besieged town of Jaffna in Sri Lanka on 4 June 1987 to support the Tamil Tigers during the Sr Lankan civil war.

Operation Pawan was the operation in which the air force supported the Indian peacekeeping forces (IPKF) in northern and eastern Sri Lanka.

1988: IAF also provided support to the Maldives in Operation Cactus or the Maldives coup d’etat attempt.

1999: Operation Safed Sagar, as the air operations in the Kargil area were called, was a milestone in the history of military aviation, as this was the first time that airpower was employed in such an environment.

After the Kargil conflict, IAF has been actively guarding the Indian air space and numerous events have been recorded of their proficiency.

2019: The Balakot Airstrike was carried out after the 2019 Pulwama attack carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) killing 46 CRPF personnel. A group of 12 Mirage aircraft carried out attacks on the JeM camps in PoK and Balakot.

The Pakistan air force retaliated after the Balakot airstrikes, and during this stand-off, IAF MiG-21 pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan. He was later released as per the Third Geneva Convention’s obligations.

Training intitutues for IAF

Apart from the National Defence Academy, other training institutes for air force personnel include the Air Force Academy, Dindigul; the Pilot Training Establishment at Allahabad; the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at Bangalore; the Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore; the Air Force Technical College, Bangalore; the Paratrooper’s Training School at Agra and the Tactics and Air Combat and Defence Establishment at Gwalior.

IAF inventory

The IAF inventory includes several aircraft such as the MiG series, Sukhoi Su-30, HAL Tejas, SEPECAT Jaguar, Boeing 707, Ilyushin series, helicopters like the indigenously developed HAL Dhruv, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for reconnaissance and surveillance, and missiles.

Dassault Rafale is the latest addition to India’s aircraft arsenal and India has signed a deal for 36 Dassault Rafale. As of Oct 2021, 29 Rafale fighters are in service with the Indian Air Force.

The Air Force Network (AFNET), a robust digital information grid that enabled quick and accurate threat responses, was launched in 2010, helping the IAF become a truly network-centric air force. AFNET is a secure communication network linking command and control centers with offensive aircraft, sensor platforms, and ground missile batteries. Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), an automated system for Air Defence operations will ride the AFNet backbone integrating ground and airborne sensors, weapon systems, and command and control nodes.

Air Force day

Every year 8 th October is celebrated as Air Force Day to commemorate the day of its establishment in 1932.

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Historical missions by the Indian Air Force you need to know

Monday October 08, 2018 , 4 min Read

The Indian Airforce completes 86 years and since its beginning, it has come a long way through many wars and operations protecting the nation since its independence.

The Indian Air Force completes 86 years of service to the nation on October 8, and in this time, has secured and protected India’s borders on numerous occasions, with brave soldiers never once caring for their own lives.

While bravery and valor cannot be measured or timed, here are some instances of the IAF helping write history as we know it.

The first Indo-Pak war - 1947

India paid a heavy price for her independence – the partition. What followed were regular skirmishes, and four wars with neighbouring Pakistan – 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999.

The 1947 war was the first test for independent India’s armed forces, and the army and the air force together pushed the enemy back to win the war .

Liberation of Goa - 1961

In December 1961 , the army, navy and air force liberated Goa, Daman, and Diu from Portuguese rule in an action that lasted three days.

After independence, India asked Goa to be integrated, but the Portuguese didn’t agree. Then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru escalated the issue to the UN but nothing came of it.

The air force, in December, launched an offensive, bombing the radio station at Bambolim and at the airport at Dabolim. The attack was led by Air Marshall A Pinto Do Rosario. On December 19, the Indian flag was hoisted in Goa.

Indo-Pak war - 1965

The year 1965 saw Pakistan’s second attempt to invade Jammu and Kashmir. The IAF used 176 aircraft to fend off the attack from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

The war initiated with Pakistan Air Force attacking IAF’s three radio stations in the northern region.

Liberation of East Pakistan - 1971

The Bangladesh liberation war lasted from December 2 to 16, 1971. The three armed forces approached targeted from land, sea, and air to liberate Bangladesh. The air force shot down 94 aircraft of the Pakistan air force, and the IAF’s fighter aircraft MiG-21 shot to prominence for the role it played in the war.

On the western side, the Pakistani army had entered Longelwala, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. By then due to the desert terrain, the Indian army couldn’t fight the numbers of enemy tanks alone. It was because most of the Indian forces were deployed on the eastern side.

On December 5 & 6, IAF continuously hit the targets as there was no aerial opposition. By the end of December 6, the land of Longewala had become a graveyard of Pakistan’s troops. Out of 40, 37 tanks with all the infantry equipment of the enemy were destroyed by a small fleet of IAF’s aircraft .

Operation Meghdoot - 1983

Siachen, at a height of 5,400 meters above sea level, is a critical battlefield. The IAF has, since the occupation of the glacier, played a crucial role in transporting supplies and men with its Chetak and Cheetah helicopters .

The Kargil war – 1999

The IAF played a crucial role in the 1999 Kargil war, deploying Jaguar, Mirage 2000, MiG 21s, MiG 23s, and MiG 27 aircraft. The air fleet bombed several ground bases. Due to enemy attacks, the attack pattern was changed, and the IAF deployed the weapon between 26,000 and 32,000 feet.

At such heights, the atmospheric density is low and reduces the potential ballistic of missiles .

Besides the war operation, IAF has also rescued many lives in rescue operations such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2005 Kashmir earthquake, 2008 cyclone Nargis, 2013 Uttarakhand floods (Operation Rahat), 2015 Nepal Earthquake (Operation Maitri) and thi year's Kerala flood rescue.

Do you have an interesting story to share? Please write to us at [email protected] . To stay updated with more positive news, please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter

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Indian Air Force Day

08 Oct 2022
Quick Facts For Prelims
GS Paper - 3
Various Security Forces & Agencies & Their Mandate

Why in News?

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is celebrating 90 th Air Force Day on 8th October.

What are the Key Highlights of the celebrations?

The primary event of the day is being observed at Chandigarh Air Force Station and consists of a parade and flyover .
LCH "Prachanda, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Sukhoi, Mig-29, Jaguar, Rafale, IL-76, C-130J, and Hawk have taken part in the fly-past.
Among helicopters, Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Chinook, Apache and Mi-17 will be part of the aerial display.

What is the Indian Air Force?

To stop the Japanese army's progress into India, the IAF was utilised to target Japanese bases in Burma.
In 1945, King George VI bestowed the prefix "Royal" in recognition of the IAF's accomplishments. After India became a republic in 1950 , this honorary title was abolished.
After the independence of the nation, it evolved into the Indian Air Force in 1950.
President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces,
The fourth-largest air force in the world is the Indian Air Force.
Headquarters: New Delhi
It was taken from the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
The Chief of Air Staff, an air chief marshal is responsible for the operational command of the air force.

What are the most Significant Operations of the IAF?

Operation Meghdoot: To regain control of the heights commanding the Siachen glacier , the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and paramilitary troops launched "Operation Meghdoot" on April 13, 1984.
IAF took part in relief operations during natural calamities such as Gujarat cyclone in 1998, the tsunami in 2004, etc.
Operation Vijay (1961)
The Second Kashmir War (1965)
The Bangladesh Liberation War (1971)
Operation Poomalai (1987)
Operation Cactus (1988)
The Kargil War (1999)
The Balakot airstrike
The India-Pakistan standoff of 2019

Source: The Hindu

Home / Essay Samples / Government / Air Force / Accomplishments Of The Indian Air Force (IAF)

Accomplishments Of The Indian Air Force (IAF)

Category: Government , World
Topic: Air Force , India

Pages: 2 (765 words)

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Women Fighter Pilots

Operation rahat, kargil war (1999), wwii (1939-1945), bangladesh liberation war (1971).

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