Indian Air Force Day

By R Anil Kumar

Chennai, October 8. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is prepared to meet any Contingency that Challenges the National Inrerest, said the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Anil Chauhan.

Participating in the 92nd Anniversary of the Indian Air Force, at Tambaram, Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, the CDS stated that, the Current  global security environment is in a state of  constant flux and the ongoing conflicts have demonstrated an inescapable need to have a strong and capable Air Force.

In his address, the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh (AP Singh), said that the Theme of Air Force Day 2024: ‘Bharatiya Vayu Sena: Saksham, Sashakt, Atmanirbhar,’ perfectly describes the aspirations of the IAF.

Adopting latest technology along with innovative and out-of-the box thinking will play a decisive role in today’s multi-domain environment, the CAS added.

Over the years, IAF has become more empowered with better technology and achieved new levels of op-exploitation of systems and weapons, AP Singh, said.

Aatmanirbharta in the field of Defence R&D and manufacturing is our priority. Concrete steps have been taken to Support  Make in India, initiatives by  engaging MSMEs, Start-ups, individual innovators, Professionals, R&D Institutes and Academia, CAS AP Singh, said.

The Chief of the Air Staff described the Air Force Day as an occasion for the air warriors to rededicate themselves in the Service of the Nation, introspect, celebrate the achievements, recognise the areas for improvement and realign for the present and future requirements.

The IAF has proved its ability in many front, one of the primary objective is to deliver weapons, on target, on time, every time and this capability was aptly showcased during the firepower demonstration exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ at Pokhran Range in February, 2024, he said.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh added that, the IAF this year has expanded its participation in Bilateral and Multilateral exercises with friendly countries and stated that the successful  conduct of the largest multi-national exercise on Indian Soil, ‘Tarang Shskti’ was a testimony to the competence and professionalism of India’s air warriors.

The Chief of Air Staff asserted that IAF always has been the first responders to the calls of humanitarian service, or disaster relief, both inside the country and abroad.

The CAS reasserted IAF ‘s full commitment towards providing a conducive and working environment to the air warriors, terming the welfare and well-being of the personnel and their families as of utmost importance.

An immaculate ceremonial parade, breath-taking demonstration of air power and a spectacular static display of state-of-the-art equipments marked the  celebrations of the 92nd anniversary of the IAF.

The Parade commenced with the marching-in of the President’s Colours, symbolising pride, unity, strength and esprit-de-corps. The tri-services band provided the patriotic fervor and the Air Warrior Drill Team, captivating the audience with their sharp and synchronised movements leaving a lasting impression on all, present.

This was followed by an air display by Jets including Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, Sukhoi-30 MKI and pilatus performing daring aerobatic manoeuvres. The Chennai skies were painted in the colours of the National flag as the Suryakiran and Sarang team mesmerised the crowd with their thrilling performances.

The Static display featured state-of-the-art equipments such as ALH -MK 4, C-295 Transport aircraft, Akash Missile Defence System, HTT-40 and Rohini Radar.