Wing Commander Raveendran and flight steward Sargeant Iyer, though shaken and injured, managed to open the rear door of the aircraft and shouted for Prime Minister Morarji Desai and the passengers in the forward cabin to exit in haste since they suspected that fire would engulf the aircraft.
'I eagerly await the day when we can experience a truly great Bollywood movie rooted in pure historical facts, one that authentically showcases the essence of our armed forces for Indian audiences,' notes Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
The Indian Air Force is set to conduct a mega airshow on Marina Beach in Chennai on the occasion of the 92nd Air Force Day on October 6.
The exercise was conducted by the Indian Air Force to showcase full integration of air defence missile system into the force, they said.
Defence Minister A K Antony will on Monday inaugurate an airbase in Thanjavur to house squadron of IAFs lethal Su-30 MKI combat aircraft, making it the first fighter squadron in south India that will help maintain vigil over the Indian Ocean region.
The sources said the second Rafale squadron being raised at the next main operating base at Hasimara in mid-April this year. India is expected to get more Rafale jets from France in the next couple of months.
The death of a young pilot and three fighter jet crashes prompt the question -- should there be more simulation training?
T, which Pakistan claimed to have destroyed along with S-400 missile launchers. India had rubbished the claims and TV cameras following Modi corroborated that.
The move is seen as a gamechanger in guarding the strategically important Indian Ocean Region.
The award is slated to be received by commanding officer Group Captain Satish Pawar on October 8.
In what was perhaps the most critical meeting before full-scale war broke out, Shastri defined India's immediate war objectives to his defence minister, army, and air force chiefs: 'To defend against Pakistan's attempts to grab Kashmir by force and to make it abundantly clear that Pakistan would never be allowed to wrest Kashmir from India; To destroy the offensive power of Pakistan's armed forces...' A fascinating excerpt from Shiv Kunal Verma's must-read 1965: A Western Sunrise India's War With Pakistan.
The 17 squadron, which operated from Bhatinda air base, was disbanded in 2016 after the IAF started gradual phasing out of Russian-origin MIG-21 jets. It was formed in 1951 and initially flew de Havilland Vampire F Mk 52 fighters.
The MiG-21 episode demonstrates that procurement is always strategic.
Choices about what aircraft to acquire, who builds them, who supplies the spares, who trains the pilots and technicians are decisions with political consequences lasting for decades.
The Tejas is a fourth generation combat aircraft developed by Aeronautical Development Agency and the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. It is equipped with fly-by-wire flight control system, integrated digital avionics and multimode radar.
On Friday, September 9, 2022, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, chief of the air staff, flew a sortie on a Rafale aircraft with his fighter pilot son Squadron Leader Mihir V Chaudhari as part of a training mission at the Air Force Station in Hasimara, West Bengal.
The military also claimed that 40 civilians, including seven women and 15 children, were killed and 121 others injured in strikes by India on the night of 6-7 May.
Squadron Leader Lokendra Singh Sindhu, an Indian Air Force pilot killed in a Jaguar fighter jet crash, had recently become a father. His family in Haryana was in celebration mode before the tragedy. He leaves behind his wife and a month-old son.
Today, he lies in an unknown grave in a corner of a farmer's field in Pakistan, having given his all for his country. A riveting excerpt from Ian Cardozo's Beyond Fear: True Stories on Life in the Indian Armed Forces.
The squadron, which operated from Bhatinda air base, was disbanded in 2016 after the IAF started gradual phasing out of Russian-origin Mig 21 jets.
Rafale deal will bring relief to IAF: Parrikar
'The crash site must be secured because something small -- like a pipe or hydraulic line -- could hold a critical clue.'
Indian Air Force Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose made an allegation in a video he shared that he was attacked and verbally abused by a group of Kannada-speaking individuals who chased him on a bike in Bengaluru early Monday morning. Terming it a case of road rage, police arrested Vikas Kumar, who works as a team head at a software company's call centre.
The mega procurement project has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they said.
A 40-year-old Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose, was allegedly assaulted and verbally abused by a group of individuals in Bengaluru while on his way to the airport with his wife. The incident, which occurred early Monday morning, has been termed a case of road rage by police. The accused, Vikas Kumar, has been arrested and a case has been registered at the Byappanahalli police station. The incident has sparked outrage, with Bose sharing a video on Instagram detailing the events and displaying injuries on his face and neck.
The No. 51 Squadron is to be retired by the end of September, "as per the plan", the defence sources said.
'The aircraft is expected to be ready for rollout between January and March 2026, and to fly by the end of the year.'
Squadron Leader Kanwal Deep Mehra's daredevilry during the 1971 War brought down a Pakistani F-86 Sabre. But he had to bail out of his plane, was badly injured. Then a fierce band of armed guerillas evacuated him to safety at great risk to their lives.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Thursday flagged serious concerns over inordinate delays in various defence acquisition projects and failure to stick to delivery schedules for supply of key platforms even as he hailed Operation Sindoor as a 'national victory'.
Sukhoi-30MKI fighters will be based in Thanjavur. Tejas Mark 1 aircraft will be based in Sulur. The Rafale squadron will be based in Ambala.
We celebrate the pioneering achievements of Captain Durba Banerjee and Avani Chaturvedi, leaders in Indian aviation.
'Today's situation is unacceptable. It has the potential to affect the IAF's operational capability.'
The plan to phase out the Soviet-origin aircraft fleet is part of the IAF's modernisation drive and it is not related to the latest crash of a MiG-21 jet in Rajasthan's Barmer on Thursday night.
The Russian and Indian officials would be soon meeting again to discuss the final delivery schedule of the remaining two missile squadrons, sources said.
The IAF chief stressed on the ongoing development of advanced landing ground along the Himalayas.
'Will this near-war, India's strongest military response so far, buy India another seven years of deterrence?' asks Shekhar Gupta.
Singh's last rites will be conducted at the Mahatma Gandhi Government School ground in his Ghardana Khurd village and thousands are expected to gather to bid him farewell.
Megahna Rajsekhar survived the tsunami and was rescued by an unknown tribal man. 14 years later she tracked him down to say thank you.
Helicopter pilot Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy will lead the IAF's 144-member all male marching contingent at Thursday's Republic Day Parade.
Col Singh was a combat veteran and was awarded Sena Medal during his tenure as second-in-command of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles.
The IAF had signed a contract for five squadrons of the S-400 air defence missile systems of which three units were received in time but two squadrons have not yet been supplied.
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