Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India's aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal. After India gained independence from United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of the Dominion of India. With the transition to a republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.
| Indian Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 26 January 1950 (as current service)
8 October 1932 (as Royal Indian Air Force) |
| Country | India |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size | 170,576 active personnel 140,000 reserve personnel Approx 1926+ aircraft |
| Part of | Indian Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Integrated Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi |
| Motto(s) | Nabhaḥ Spr̥śaṁ Dīptam (ISO) transl. "Glory that touches the sky" (Taken from Bhagavad Gita) |
| Colours | |
| March |
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| Anniversaries | 8 October (Air Force Day) |
| Engagements | Notable operations
|
| Website | indianairforce |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President Droupadi Murmu |
| Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) | General Anil Chauhan |
| Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) | Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari |
| Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) | Air marshal Amar Preet Singh |
| Notable commanders |
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| Insignia | |
| Roundel | |
| Fin flash | |
| Flag | |
| President's Colour | |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Jaguar, Eitan, Harop |
| Electronic warfare | A-50E/I, DRDO AEW&CS |
| Fighter | Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas, MiG-29, Mirage 2000, MiG-21 HAL Tejas Mk2, HAL AMCA |
| Helicopter | CH-47 Chinook, Dhruv, Chetak, Cheetah, Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-26, HAL IMRH |
| Attack helicopter | Prachand, Apache AH-64E, Mi-25/35, Rudra |
| Interceptor | MiG 21 |
| Reconnaissance | Searcher II, Heron |
| Trainer | Hawk Mk 132, HJT-16 Kiran, Pilatus C-7 Mk II |
| Transport | C-130J, C-17 Globemaster III, CH-47F (I) Chinook, Il-76, An-32, HS 748, Do 228, EADS CASA C-295, Boeing 737, ERJ 135, Boeing 777 |
| Tanker | Il-78 MKI |
Since 1950, the IAF has been involved in four wars with neighbouring Pakistan. Other major operations undertaken by the IAF include Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Cactus and Operation Poomalai. The IAF's mission expands beyond engagement with hostile forces, with the IAF participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions.
The President of India holds the rank of Supreme Commander of the IAF. As of 1 July 2017, 170,576 personnel are in service with the Indian Air Force. The Chief of the Air Staff, an air chief marshal, is a four-star officer and is responsible for the bulk of operational command of the Air Force. There is never more than one serving ACM at any given time in the IAF. The rank of Marshal of the Air Force has been conferred by the President of India on one occasion in history, to Arjan Singh. On 26 January 2002, Singh became the first and so far, only five-star rank officer of the IAF.