Indian Air Force is the fourth best operational Air Force in the world. It has a total strength of 127,000 active personnel with estimates of around 1,370 aircraft in active service during 2012-2013. From 1948 to the Kargil conflict, the Indian Air Force ( IAF) has always exhibited its winning capabilities. Here are some facts about the Indian Air Force:
10 Facts about Indian Air Force
- Indian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire. The prefix Royal was added in 1945 in recognition of its services during World War II. After India achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the Royal Indian Air Force served the Dominion of India, with the prefix “Royal” being dropped when India became a republic in 1950.
- Indian Airforce Currently Operates 3 Beriev A-50 Phalcon AEWC (Airborne early warning and control) aircrafts, around 700 fighters, 7 aerial refueling tanker aircrafts, 133 transport aircrafts, 158 trainer aircrafts, 33 attack helicopters, 156 transport helicopters, 155 utility helicopters, about 200 UAVs.
- The Indian Air Force’s primary air superiority fighter is the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, which is among the most elite fighter jets in the world alongside the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale and USAF’s best F-series of fighters.
- The Indian Air Force has a Special Forces unit known as ‘The Garud Commando Force’ which was formed in 2004. The Counter Insurgency (COIN) Operations and Emergency unit was formed by the IAF in response to terror-threats to airfields by terrorists across the border. Today the Garud Commando Force has nearly 2000 specially trained personnel, who protect critical Air force bases, conduct search and rescue operations, helps disaster reliefs and many more.
- Air Marshal Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force. He was Air Chief from 15 August 1947 to 21 February 1950. Air Marshal Elmhirst was also instrumental in turning an incomplete air force into a cohesive fighting machine.
- Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the only member of the Indian Air Force to have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military decoration.
- Padmavathy Bandopadhyay was the first woman Air Marshal of Indian Air Force. She was the Director General Medical Services (Air) at the Air Headquarters.
- The only Marshal of the Air Force, is Arjan Singh.
- In the Kargil War, the IAF rapidly adapted to the air campaign’s unique operational challenges, which included enemy positions at elevations of 14,000 to 18,000 feet, a stark backdrop of rocks and snowthat made for uncommonly difficult visual target acquisition, and a restriction against crossing the Line of Control that forms the border with Pakistan.
- Indian Air Force has replaced the old communication with its own fully secure and reliable network and gigabyte digital information grid using modern tropo-scatter technology, popularly known as AFnet in 2010. The amazing revolution in the field of communication will be followed by the army and navy in future.
