If an OTT series can make a young person curious about the armed forces, make a family understand the sacrifices made by those in uniform, or simply make someone walk up to a veteran and say, "Thank you for your service," then it has achieved something far more important than merely getting its history right, notes Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Varthaman, who downed an enemy jet during an aerial combat with Pakistan in 2019 and was held captive for three days in that country, was honoured with the Vir Chakra award in 2021.
Operation Safed Sagar is prime purpose may be to honour IAF warriors but it is an inadvertent reminder of how we went from a nation of Jung na hone denge to Ghar mein ghus ke marenge, observes Sukanya Verma.
From Ajnabee to 2.0, Akshay Kumar has had plenty of fun playing the bad guy, but which of his villainous turns is truly khatarnaak?
How the Indian Air Force's strategic deployment of Mirage 2000 jets and precision laser-guided bombs during Operation Safed Sagar delivered a 'decisive and crushing blow' to the enemy, playing a pivotal role in India's victory in the 1999 Kargil War.
'They become heroes because of their actions.'
Before Welcome to the Jungle, here's a look at the movies where Akshay Kumar tried to entertain us in double roles.
'Shah Rukh Sir gave us a lot of room to make the film we wanted to make.'
Two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district for entering India without valid travel documents. A local driver was also apprehended for allegedly facilitating their illegal entry.
A prayer meet was held for Dharmendra at the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, north west Mumbai.
'I don't think it is right to remove him over one lapse. The focus should be on restoring operations, not on removing a key management personnel.'
The legendary Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jets, the the backbone of the Indian Air Force's combat fleet for more than six decades, streaked through Indian skies for the last time on Friday -- its final adieu edged in history and many a remembrance.
The Indian Air Force is set to retire its fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets at a decommissioning event in Chandigarh. The event will mark the end of an era for the aircraft that has been a key part of the IAF's combat fleet for over six decades.
Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa is a Kargil war veteran and top rated fighter pilot with over 3,000 hours of flying experience.
The IAF carried out 33 missions transporting 625 tonnes of treasury consignment after the demonetisation was announced, the ex-IAF chief said.
He pointed out that after air strike there were no major terrorist attacks during the Lok Sabha polls because it acted as a deterrent.
Addressing IAF personnel on the Air Force Day, Dhanoa said the air force was fully geared up to face any security challenge to the country.
"We don't take chances with the medical fitness of a pilot," he said at a press conference.
Dhanoa is a on a four-day visit to France to ramp up cooperation between the air forces of the two countries in a range of areas.
It is rare for an Air Force Chief to fly solo.
Six Rafale trainer aircraft will carry RB series tail numbers which stand for Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, the current Chief of Air Staff who played a key role as lead negotiator for the mega deal.
The MiG-21's sharp silhouette and supersonic roar will live on in the memories of those who flew it, those who maintained it, and those who watched it streak across the sky as a symbol of India's strength, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Dhanoa said that IAF's preparedness was amply displayed in the recently concluded exercise Gaganshakti.
A court in Punjab's Mohali has sentenced self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Vikrant Kumar pronounced the verdict on Tuesday. Bajinder was found guilty under sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered on a complaint filed by a woman at the Zirakpur police station in Mohali in 2018.
'Rafales can play an important role in doing DEAD (Destruction of Enemy Air Defence) on the Surface-to-Air Missiles that the Chinese have put on Tibet'
Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said the IAF is "always cautious and alert" to check any untoward aerial movement on the border.
'Their (Pakistani) objective was to hit our army places. They could not and that is the bottom line'
"The way he (Pakistan MP) is saying that 'pair kaanp rahe the' (his legs were trembling). It is because the military posture was very offensive... God forbid if there are military misadventure on 27th and hit some of our military installations, we were in a position to wipe out their forward brigades. They know what is our capability," he said.
He said it is the duty of the Air Force personnel to remain combat worthy and maintain combat systems operational for any contingency at a short notice.
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.
Dhanoa also hoped that the matter will be laid to rest saying that raking up such issues to get political gains, putting the interest of armed forces behind is not right.
IAF Chief Dhanoa and Abhinandan took a sortie on the MiG 21 jet from the Pathankot air base.
MiG-21s are one of the oldest aircraft in the Indian Air Force fleet. Most of them are on the verge of being phased out from the inventory of the air force.
Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the Modi government and Anil Ambani over the Rafale issue, saying that in order to bag India's biggest defence contracts one has to be a "defaulter of Rs 45,000 crore" and have "no relevant experience".
He also cautioned against politicisation of defence purchases, suggesting that this had earlier led to the delay in the army acquiring the Bofors gun.
'We were against politicisation of the defence acquisition process. It was a question of capability of the air force'
'In the Balakot operation, we had technology on our side, and we could launch precision stand of weapons with great accuracy.'
Air Chief Marshal said his force is ready for a full spectrum operation but added that any decision on surgical strike involving the IAF has to be taken by the government.
Here are some of the glimpses from the celebration.
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.
