Blog's

Indian Air Force Day

The mission of the Indian Air Force is defined by the Armed Forces Act 1947, the Constitution of India, and the Air Force Act 1950. The Indian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force to the Royal Air Force in British India. The enactment of the Indian Air Force Act of 1932 determined their subsidiary status and enforced the adoption of Royal Air Force uniforms, badges, brevets, and insignia.

On 1 April 1933, the IAF raised its first squadron, No. 1 Squadron, with four Westland Wapiti biplanes and five Indian pilots. The Indian pilots were led by the British RAF commanding officer, Flight Lieutenant Cecil Bouchier. The Indian Air Force is the air branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and conduct air combat during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as the Auxiliary Air Force of the British Empire, which awarded the Royal prefix to India’s aviation service during World War II. After India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, it was renamed the Royal Indian Air Force and operated under the name of the Dominion of India. With the transition to a republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was dropped.

Since 1950, the Indian Air Force has been involved in four wars with neighboring Pakistan. Other major operations conducted by the Indian Air Force include Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Cactus, and Operation Poomalai. The mission of the Indian Air Force extends far beyond combating hostile forces, with the Indian Air Force participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

The Indian Air Force has less number of fighter aircraft till October 2024. The Indian Air Force has 31 fighter aircraft, whereas the requirement is 42. This number is equal to the fighter fleet of the Indian Air Force during the India-Pakistan war. Of 1965. The number reached 42 aircraft in 1996, which later declined to 35 in 2013 as many aircraft were retired without replacement.