19 Facts About 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.

Indian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 in British India as an auxiliary air force of the Royal Air Force.

The enactment of the Indian Air Force Act 1932 stipulated out their auxiliary status and enforced the adoption of the Royal Air Force uniforms, badges, brevets and insignia.

The Indian pilots were led by British RAF Commanding officer Flight Lieutenant Cecil Bouchier.

Many of these Indian airmen were seconded or transferred to the expanding IAF such as Squadron Leader Mohinder Singh Pujji DFC who led No 4 Squadron IAF in Burma.

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In late 1961, the Indian Air Force government decided to attack the Portuguese colony of Goa after years of disagreement between New Delhi and Lisbon.

The Indian Air Force was requested to provide support elements to the ground force in what was called Operation Vijay.

The Indian Air Force was quick to respond to Pakistani air strikes, following which the PAF carried out mostly defensive sorties.

In 1987, the IAF supported the Indian Peace Keeping Force in northern and eastern Sri Lanka in Operation Pawan.

The IL-76s of No 44 Squadron landed at Hulhule at 0030 hours and the Indian paratroopers secured the airfield and restored Government rule at Male within hours.

On 11 May 1999, the Indian Air Force was called in to provide close air support to the Indian Army at the height of the ongoing Kargil conflict with the use of helicopters.

Since the late 1990s, the Indian Air Force has been modernising its fleet to counter challenges in the new century.

Pakistan claimed that the Indian aircraft had only dropped bombs in the forest area demolishing pine trees near the Jaba village which is 19 kilometres away from Balakotand Indian officials claimed to bomb and kill a large number of terrorists in the airstrike.

Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and two functional commands.

The highest rank attainable in the IAF is Marshal of the Indian Air Force, conferred by the President of India after exceptional service during wartime.

The head of the Indian Air Force is the Chief of the Air Staff, who holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal.

Besides the tri-service institutions, the Indian Air Force has a Training Command and several training establishments.

Indian Air Force has aircraft and equipment of Russian, British, French, Israeli, US and Indian origins with Russian aircraft dominating its inventory.

The exact number of aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force cannot be determined with precision from open sources.