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The Indian Air Force ('''भारतीय वायु सेना''' : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the Air-arm of the Armed Forces Of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting Aerial Warfare and securing the Indian Airspace . It was established on October 8 , 1932 as the Indian Air Force. It was granted the prefix "Royal" in 1945 in recognition of its services during the Second World War . The prefix Royal was dropped after India became a Republic in 1950 . With its headquarters in New Delhi , the Indian Air Force has a strength of approximately 170,000 personnel and 1,350 combat aircraft (2006 figure) making it the fourth largest air force in the world. The strength Official website HISTORY See Also: History of the Indian Air Force Indian Air Force's No.1 Squadron came into being on April 1 1933 . Initially, the IAF consisted of five Indian pilots, one RAF Commanding officer and four Westland Wapiti Biplanes . World War II (1939-1945) See Also: India during World War 2 During World War II , the IAF played an instrumental role in thwarting the advance of the Japanese Army in Burma , where its first air strike was on the Japanese military base in Arakan . It also carried out strike missions against the Japanese airbases at Mae Hong Son , Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in northern Thailand . During the war, the IAF went through a phase of steady expansion. New aircraft, including the U.S. built Vultee Vengeance and the British Hawker Hurricane and Westland Lysander , were added to its fleet. In recognition of the services rendered by the IAF, King George VI conferred the Prefix "Royal" in 1945. Thereafter the IAF was referred to as Royal Indian Air Force . In 1950, when India became a republic, the prefix was dropped and it reverted back to Indian Air Force. First Kashmir War 1947 See Also: Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 During the on October 27 . This was the most instrumental action of the war as the Paratroopers played a crucial role in blocking the advance of Pakistani mercenaries. Apart from the airlifting operations and supplying essential commodities to the ground troops, the Indian Air Force was assigned no other major role during the conflict by the Indian Ministry of Defense. On December 31 , 1948 , both nations agreed to a UN mediated cease-fire proposal marking the end of hostilities. A Line Of Control (LoC) has since separated Indian-held Kashmir from Pakistani-held Kashmir. Congo Operation 1961 See Also: Congo Crisis Belgium 's 75-year colonial rule of the Congo ended abruptly on June 30 , 1960 . Unable to control the deteriorating situation in its former African colony, Belgium asked the United Nations for assistance. India was one of the first UN-members to respond to the initial appeal for help and sent IAF Canberra aircraft as a part of the UN-led mission in Congo. Indo-China Conflict 1962 In 1962, in the spate a number of increasingly violent border clashes, China launched a sudden assault on Indian military ground positions in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu And Kashmir . The IAF was called to counter-attack the Chinese raid and to supply troops fighting near the Sino-Indian border. However, the military and civilian leadership failed to organise and co-ordinate the air assaults efficiently – one of the primary reasons for the Indian defeat in the conflict. Without essential air support, the Indian Army faced overwhelming odds in their fight against well trained Chinese troops. The Indian leadership grounded the IAF for the majority of the war fearing that if the IAF attacked Chinese forces, the PLAAF would retaliate on Indian cities. Soon after, the Indian government, learning from its mistakes, began a vigorous campaign to expand the IAF. An emergency flying scheme was started in Delhi, Madras, Kanpur, Nagpur, Patiala and Adampur and more than 1,000 cadets received primary flying training by 1964 . The IAF's strength was increased from 28,000 officers and men in 1961 to 100,000 officers, men, and women by 1964 . By 1965, the IAF had also added newly bought Antonov An-12 B and C-119G transport aircraft to its fleet. Second Kashmir War 1965 See Also: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 In 1965, India and Pakistan went to war over Kashmir for the second time. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 tested the strength of the Indian Air Force to its full limit. The Indian Air Force was successful in bombarding several Pakistani air-fields, military installations and ammunition depots deep inside Pakistani territory and provided crucial air cover to the and Rescue efforts ( MedEvac ). According to India, the IAF lost 35 planes while the Pakistani Air Force lost 55 planes during the course of the conflict. Growth and Re-organization (1965 - 1972) .]] After the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the IAF underwent a series of changes. In 1966, the Para Commandos regiment was created. With an intention of increasing its logistics supply and rescue operations ability, the IAF inducted 72 Avro 748 s which were built by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) under license from Avro . The aircraft were modified to play a variety of roles and were fitted with a large Radome to act as a Airborne Early Warning platform. India started to lay more stress on indigenous manufacture of Fighter Aircraft . A total of 147 HAL HF-24 Marut , designed by famed Aerospace Engineer Kurt Tank , were inducted into the air force. HAL also started working on a new improved version of Folland Gnat , known as HAL Ajeet . During the late 1960s , the IAF also started inducting MiG-21 s and Sukhoi Su-7 s fighters which had a top speed of Mach 2 . The induction of these advanced fighter jets was the beginning of close collaboration between India and the Soviet Union . With Soviet help, coupled with increasing role of Hindustan Aeronautics, the Indian Air Force was now rated as one of the most sophisticated air forces in Asia . Bangladesh Liberation War 1971 See Also: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 aircraft dropping Indian Paratroopers near Tangail, about 150 km from Dhaka, 11 December 1971.]] The professional standards, capability and flexibility of the newly re-organized Indian Air Force were soon put to test in December 1971 when India and Pakistan went to war over erstwhile East Pakistan . At the time, the IAF was under the command of Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal. On November 22 , 10 days before the start of a full-scale war, four PAF F-86 Sabre jets attacked Indian and Mukti Bahini positions near the Indian-Bangladeshi border in the Battle Of Garibpur , and hostilities commenced. In what became the first ever Dogfight over Bangladeshi skies, three of the 4 PAF Sabres Were Shot Down By IAF Gnats . December 3 saw the formal declaration of war following massive, but Failed Preemptive Strikes by the Pakistan Air Force against Indian Air Force installations in the west. The PAF targets were against Indian bases in Srinagar, Ambala, Sirsa, Halwara and Jodhpur on the lines of Israel i Operation Focus . But the plan failed miserably as Indians had anticipated such a move and no major losses were suffered. The Indian Air Force was quick to respond to Pakistani air-strikes. Within the first two weeks, the IAF had carried out more than 4,000 sorties in East Pakistan and on both East and West fronts and its overall sortie rate numbered over 15000. Comparatively, the PAF was flying fewer sorties by the day fearing loss of planes. Towards the end of the war, IAF's transport planes dropped leaflets over Dhaka urging the Pakistani forces to surrender; East Pakistani sources note that as the leaflets floated down, the morale of the Pakistani troops sunk.[http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/ishfaq/air_aspect71.htm Air aspect of the Liberation War 1971 by Air Cdre Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury (Retd)] See Also: Operation Chengiz Khan East Pakistan Air Operations, 1971 Helibridge over Meghna Tangail Airdrop Battle of Hilli Operation Meghdoot 1984 See Also: Operation Meghdoot Operation Meghdoot was the name given to the Preemptive Strike launched by the Indian Military to capture most of the Siachen Glacier , in the disputed Kashmir region. Launched on April 13 , 1984 , this Military Operation was unique as it was the first assault launched in the world's highest battlefield. The military action was quite successful as Indian troops managed to gain two-thirds of the Glacier with the rest remaining under Pakistani control. Operation Cactus 1988 See Also: Operation Cactus In November 1988, the People's Liberation Organisation Of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) comprising about 200 secessionists invaded Maldives . At the request of the President of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom , Indian Armed Forces with assistance of R&AW launched a military campaign to restore government rule in Maldives. On the night of November 3 , 1988, the Indian Air Force airlifted a parachute battalion group from Agra and flew them non-stop over 2,000 kilometres (1,240 mi) to Maldives . The Indian paratroopers landed at Hulule and secured the airfield and restored the Government rule at Malé within hours. The brief, bloodless operation, labelled ''Operation Cactus'', also involved the Indian Navy . Kargil 1999 See Also: Operation Safed Sagar / VTR still showing the R-60 streaking towards the Atlantique in its final moments.]] During the Kargil War with Pakistan , the Indian Air Force is said to have proved the decisive force in accelerating the end of the conflict. It successfully provided considerable air-cover for Indian troops fighting against Pakistan i soldiers and also carried out air assaults against enemy forces in Kashmir. Most notable were the IAF's Mirage 2000 aircraft, which carried out surgical operations to assist ground troops in securing the strategically crucial ''Tiger Hill'' from its Pakistani captors. The IAF also carried out several operations to provide essential supplies to the ground troops. During the conflict, one IAF MiG-27 and an IAF MiG-21 were claimed shot down by Pakistani Air Defence Missiles . However the Indian Air Force had stated that the MiG-27 had an engine flameout in the initial stages of attacking the mountain top targets with its cannon. PAF Combat.com The MiG-21M was on a search operation to find the MiG-27s crash site, when it was shot down. Later, an Mi-17 helicopter was shot down by a shoulder-held missile with the loss of all its crew. Atlantique Incident See Also: Atlantique Incident On August 10 1999 , a Pakistan Navy French-built naval Breguet Atlantic was flying over the Rann Of Kutch area and was shot down by two IAF MiG-21 jets killing all 16 aboard. IAF AIR STAFF and Green IAF roundel was adopted after India became a Republic in 1950 .]] With its headquarters in New Delhi , the Indian Air Force has a strength of 170,000 personnel and 1430 combat aircraft ( 2006 figure). The Officers of the IAF are commissioned in one of the following branches:
Rank structure The highest rank attainable in the IAF is Marshal Of The Indian Air Force conferred by the President Of India only after exceptional service (Equivalent to Field Marshall In The Indian Army ). MIAF Arjan Singh is the only officer to have achieved this rank. The head of the Indian Air Force is the Chief Of The Air Staff . The current Air Chief Marshal is Fali Homi Major . Officer The various ranks of personnel within the Indian Air Force are listed below in descending order:
) as its fin flash.]] Airmen During its formation, the rank structure of airmen was based on the British model. Over the years the rank structure has seen significant changes.
STRUCTURE OF THE IAF The head of the Indian Air Force, , the Deputy Chief Of The Air Staff , the Air Officer In Charge Of Administration , the Air Officer In Charge Of Personnel , the Air Officer In Charge Of Maintenance , and the Inspector General Of Flight Safety . Commands The Indian Air Force currently operates seven Commands . Each Command is headed by a Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief in the rank of Air Marshal . Aerospace Command The IAF is setting up an aerospace command. This command will have space technology including satellites available to them. This command is said to be utilised by all the three services of the Indian armed forces and also for civilian purposes by ISRO India in aerospace defence plan [http://www.spacewar.com/reports/India_Begins_Work_On_Space_Weapons_Command.html]. Wings Wing is a static formation below the level of the Commands and is an intermediate between Command and Squadron. A Wing generally consists of various IAF Squadrons and Helicopter Units and along with the Forward Base Support Units (FBSU), it is responsible for maintaining the installation. FBSUs do not have or host any Squadrons or Helicopter units but act as transit airbases for routine operations. In times of war, they can become full fledged air bases playing host to various Squadrons. Currently, 47 Wings and 19 FBSUs make up the IAF Indian Air Force. Wings and FBSUs. Bharat-rakshak.com . Squadrons Squadron s are the field units and formations attached to static locations. In other words, a Flying Squadron is a sub-unit of an air force station which carries out the primary task of the IAF. All fighter squadrons are headed by the Commanding Officer with the rank of Wing Commander. Some Transport squadrons and Helicopter Units are headed by the Commanding Officer with the rank of Group Captain . IAF BASES See Also: List of Indian Air Force Bases The IAF operates over 60 air bases, with more being built or planned. They are grouped under one of the five Regional Air Commands. In addition, the IAF also operates the Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan . Western Air Command The largest Air Command. It operates 16 Air bases from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh Eastern Air Command It operates 15 Air bases in Eastern and North-eastern India. Central Air Command Operates 7 Air Bases in Madhya Pradesh and surrounding states of central India Southern Air Command A strategically important Air command, in line with India's latest doctrine of protecting the vital shipping routes. It operates 9 Air bases in South India and 2 in the Andaman And Nicobar Islands . South Western Air Command The front line of defence against Pakistan, this important Command operates 12 Forward Air Bases in Rajasthan and Gujarat . IAF AIRCRAFT See Also: List of aircraft of the IAF The Indian Air Force has a strength of 1430 combat aircraft. Most of the IAF's fighter jets are of French, Soviet/Russian and British origin, with designs by the latter two countries being constructed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under licence. The indigenously-built HAL Tejas (formerly Light Combat Aircraft) is expected to enter service by 2010 , replacing the MiG-21s in IAF service. The various types of combat aircraft in the IAF are listed below. Air superiority aircraft The . The Su-30K variant was first acquired in 1996 . In October 2004 , the IAF signed a multi-billion US$ contract with Sukhoi according to which Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was given the licence to manufacture 140+ Su-30MKI 's with full technology transfer. HAL plans to manufacture about 15 of these aircraft annually. The twin seater, multi-role fighter has a maximum speed of 2500 km/h ( Mach 2.35) and has a service ceiling of 17,500 metres. The aircraft, with one mid-air refuelling, can go to a distance of 8000 km, making it an effective platform to deliver nuclear weapons. In February, 2007 India ordered 40 additional Su-30MKI combat aircraft. Multi-role combat aircraft These are aircraft for strike, offensive support, air defence and superiority purposes. The IAF currently possesses several multi-role fighter jets that perform these functions. Single-seater Mirage 2000 s and MiG-29 s serve in both strike and defence squadrons. The MiG-29 (''fulcrum'') has a top speed of 2445 km/h (Mach 2.3) and is armed with a 30 mm cannon along with R-60 & R-27 R missiles. Capable of flying at 2500 km/h (Mach 2.3), the Mirage 2000-H is the IAF's prime ground-attack fighter jet while the double seater Mirage 2000-TH can also play the role of an effective Interceptor Aircraft . This aircraft can carry a wide range of weaponry including two 30 mm integral cannons, two ''Matra super 530D'' medium-range missiles and two '' R550 Magic '' close combat missiles. 450 multi-role MiG-21 combat aircraft have been serving the IAF for the past two decades. The air force plans to eventually replace its MiG-21s with the indigenously-built LCA HAL Tejas by about 2010 . Strike, attack and offensive support aircraft Squadrons of Jaguar IS and MiG-27 aircraft serve as the IAF's primary ground strike force. The twin-engine Jaguar IB , with a top speed of Mach 1.3, is capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The IAF currently possess 100 Jaguar IS and 8 maritime strike Jaguar IM aircraft. The single-seater MiG-27 carries one GSh-6-30 six-barrelled 30 mm cannon, 4000 kg of general-purpose ordnance, SPPU-22 and SPPU-6 gun pods, and various guided air-to-surface missiles. Reconnaissance aircraft Various unmanned aircraft are used for reconnaissance. The IAF used to operate a fleet of MiG-25 (''Foxbat'') R, U Reconnaissance aircraft until 2006. The high-speed Interceptor Aircraft carried four R-40 (AA-6 'Acrid') Air-to-air Missile s, two R-23 (AA-7 'Apex') and four R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') or R-73 (AA-11 'Archer') . The MiG-25, in service since the late 1980s, were decommissioned from service in 2006. The IAF also used the English Electric Canberra aircraft for reconnaissance and photoreconnaissance missions during the Kargil War . The Canberras were originally used as Bombers, and served in that role in the 1971 War . In 2003 , the IAF bought 6 IL-78MKI aircraft from Russia .The aircraft's primary role is air-to-air re-fueling.The IAF also has a fleet of 24 IL-76MD aircraft The IAF has ordered 3 IAI Phalcon to be mounted on IL-76. Deliveries start from September 2007. Unmanned aerial vehicles The primary role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle s (UAVs) is to provide aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. However, DRDO, ADA and HAL are developing a range of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle s. The IAF currently operates IAI Malat -built Searcher MkII and Heron UAV s. Israel Aircraft Industries and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), India's leading Unmanned Aerial Vehicle research agency are also jointly developing three new UAV s. UAVs can also be used as a ''target aircraft''. HAL ''Lakshya'' , indigenously-developed pilotless target aircraft, was inducted into the IAF in July 2005 . Israel has also bought a few of the Laksya PTAs. Another UAV, the HAL '' Nishant '' Remote Piloted Vehicle (RPV) has also been developed, with an endurance of over 3 hours. The UAV can be used for carrying out ground attacks and aerial surveillance. It will be inducted into the Indian Army by 2007. Another smaller UAV, known as the ''Kapothaka'' is also being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency. Support helicopters helicopter formation display team.]] An important objective of the IAF is to support ground troops by providing air-cover and by transporting men and essential commodities across the battlefield. The list of helicopters currently in service with the IAF:
On October 15, 2006 India agreed to acquire 80 Mi-17 helicopters from the Russian Federation in a deal worth approximately US$662 million. {Link without Title} The new and improved HAL Dhruv, complete with the more powerful Shakti engine and glass cockpit, will be coming on stream in 2007. Training aircraft .]] The Indian Air Force currently operates around 300 MiG-21 aircraft.The IAF initially planned to replace the MiG-21 fleet with indigenously-built HAL Tejas aircraft by 2006 . However, the target could not be met due to developmental delays and a U.S. sanction, following the Pokhran Tests , which blocked the delivery of GE F404 engines- a crucial component of the aircraft. In 2003 , the IAF placed an order for 66 Hawk Mk 132 Advanced Jet Trainer s in a deal worth over 1 billion GBP. The supply of these advanced trainer aircraft will bring to an end the use of the MiG-21 as a training jet. India also manufactures less-sophisticated HAL HJT-16 Kiran and this aircraft will be replaced with the advanced HJT-36 . IAF uses HPT-32 Deepak for basic training. Aircraft inventory Combat Aircraft: Helicopters: Transport Aircraft: Trainers: FUTURE AIRCRAFT The Indian Air Force currently operates more than 250 MiG-21 aircraft. Due to its aging equipment, several MiG-21s used in training roles have crashed over the past six years, killing over 50 IAF pilots. Also, they are nearing the end of their service life having been in the IAF for many decades and are being decommissioned at an increasing pace. The IAF initially planned to replace the MiG-21 fleet with indigenously-built HAL Tejas aircraft by 2006 . However, the target could not be met due to developmental delays and a US sanction, following the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, which blocked the delivery of GE F404 engines - a crucial component of the LCA. The Indian Air Force has a requirement for combat aircraft to replace the MiG-21 in service. The Mirage-2000 were considered as a replacement. However, Dassault announced that it has shut down the assembly line of the Mirage-2000. Hence the IAF included the Mig-29M/M2, Gripen and F-16 in its itenarary of consideration. This was the first time in the IAF's history that an American aircraft was being considered. Later the number of manufacturers was widened to include heavy-weight aircraft like the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and Dassault Rafale. In an interview, the then Air Chief of the IAF M. Shahindra Pal Tyagi admitted to allowing heavy-weight aircraft to compete, "to allow more competition". The limited series production of the indigenous LCA Tejas aircraft is ongoing at , French Rafale , European Eurofighter Typhoon , Swedish Gripen and the US F-16C . Besides the F-16Cs, the US has also offered the sale of F-16 Block 70 and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet combat aircraft. IAF pilots and technicians are familiar with earlier aircraft from MiG and Dassault and would need minimal retraining. Infrastructural and logistical support for maintenance and spares would also be easier for these aircraft compared to the unfamiliar Gripens, F-16s and F/A-18s. Moreover, many analysts feel that the US, whose unpredictable foreign policy might clamp sanctions at any time, cannot be a reliable supplier. Apart from the 126 multi-role combat aircraft, 180 aircraft. In Development The IAF will also buy 220 indigenously-built HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft . It has already ordered a total of 28 Tejas aircraft. These aircraft are expected to enter service beginning in 2009 . The HAL HJT-36 Intermediate Jet Trainer carried out its maiden test flight in 2003 and is all set to enter service within the next 5 years. HAL recently signed a deal with Russian company Saturn DDB for supply of a specially designed engine for the trainer. The 66 Hawk T.132 s will begin arriving in India from September, 2007 . The Hawk, along with the HAL HJT-36 , will serve the IAF's future fighter training needs. Apart from combat and training aircraft, India is also developing Un-manned Surveillance Aircraft in collaboration with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). In frame. An official project name has not been assigned to this possible Indo-Russian fifth-generation fighter aircraft development programme as of March , 2007 . India is also planning to construct a fifth generation aircraft called Medium Combat Aircraft or MCA. The MCA is presently in early stages of development and production is expected to commence in 2015 . Hindustan Aeronautics has already commenced the development of a Indo-Russian Multirole Transport Aircraft , which will replace the IAF's ageing fleet of Antonov An-32 s. WEAPONS Air to Air Missiles
Air to Surface Missiles
Surface to Air Missiles
The IAF has initiated the process to induct the air defence systems. SPYDER SAM System for India. India Defence Surface to Surface Missiles
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