Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
भारतीय वायुसेना
	Badge of the Indian Air Force
Founded	26 January 1950
Country	India
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	135,000 active personnel ; 100,000 reserve personnel ; Approx 1926+ aircraft
Part of	India Armed Forces
Headquarters	Integrated Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi
Motto(s)	Nabhaḥ Spr̥śaṁ Dīptam (ISO) ; transl. "Touch the Sky with Glory" (Taken from Bhagavad Gita)
Colours
March	Quick: Dēśa Pukārē Jaba Saba Kō; (When the Country Calls Everyone); Slow: Vāyu Sēnā Niśāna; (The Air Force Emblem);
Anniversaries	8 October (Air Force Day)
Engagements	Notable operations World War II; Indo-Pakistani War of 1947; Congo Crisis; Operation Vijay; Indo-Pakistani War of 1965; Operation Cactus-Lilly; Battle of Boyra; Bangladesh Liberation War; Operation Meghdoot; Operation Poomalai; Operation Pawan; Operation Cactus; Kargil War; Pakistan Navy Atlantic shootdown; 2019 Balakot airstrike; India–Pakistan border skirmishes (2019); 2020–2021 China–India skirmishes; Operation Ganga; 2025 India–Pakistan border skirmishes;
Website	indianairforce.nic.in
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	President Droupadi Murmu
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS)	Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh
Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS)	Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari
Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS)	Air Marshal Tejinder Singh
Notable; commanders	Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh; Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal; Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee;
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
Helicopter	CH-47 Chinook, Dhruv, Chetak, Cheetah, Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-26
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

The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Air forceThe President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of the Air Force Staff (CAS). Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts.

Since 1950, the IAF has been involved in 5 wars but also participates regularly in United Nations peace keeping missions.

The Indian Air Force has around 170,000 personnel and around 1700 aircraft making it the 4th largest air force in the world in terms of aircraft. The motto of the Indian Air Force is nabhah sprsham diptam ('touch the sky with glory').The motto has been taken from the Sacred Bhagavad Gita,Chapter 11,Verse 24.

References

↑ "20% Sailor Shortage in Navy, 15% Officer Posts Vacant in Army, Nirmala Sitharaman Tells Parliament". 27 December 2017. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
↑ (Iiss), The International Institute of Strategic Studies (25 February 2021). The Military Balance 2021. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, 10,000 civilian personnel Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-032-01227-8.
↑ "World Air Forces 2016". Flightglobal Insight. 2016. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
↑ International Institute for Strategic Studies: The Military Balance 2014, p.245
↑ "The IAF Motto". Retrieved 2019-11-23.
↑ Mukundananda, Swami. "Chapter 11, Verse 24 – Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God – Swami Mukundananda". Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God – Swami Mukundananda. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
↑ "IAF celebrates 87th Air Force Day – Abhinandan enthrals audience". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2020-10-06.

[1] "20% Sailor Shortage in Navy, 15% Officer Posts Vacant in Army, Nirmala Sitharaman Tells Parliament". 27 December 2017. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-28.

[Military2021-2] (Iiss), The International Institute of Strategic Studies (25 February 2021). The Military Balance 2021. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, 10,000 civilian personnel Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-032-01227-8.

[Flightglobal-3] "World Air Forces 2016". Flightglobal Insight. 2016. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2016.

[IISS2014_p245-4] International Institute for Strategic Studies: The Military Balance 2014, p.245

[5] "The IAF Motto". Retrieved 2019-11-23.

[Mukundananda-6] Mukundananda, Swami. "Chapter 11, Verse 24 – Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God – Swami Mukundananda". Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God – Swami Mukundananda. Retrieved 2021-07-06.

[7] "IAF celebrates 87th Air Force Day – Abhinandan enthrals audience". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2020-10-06.

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