The Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, General David L Goldfein, on Saturday flew India's indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas at the air force station in Jodhpur.
'With butterflies in our stomachs, but confident of our mission, we took off for Jaffna on the morning of 24 July 1987.' IAF Veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe recalls a conversation with Air Vice Marshal Harpal Singh Ahluwalia (retd), then a wing commander and mission leader for the clandestine operation.
Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, who will head the IAF from October 1, will keep our fighting capabilities sharpened and operationally ready for conflict at all times, notes Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has asked the Indian Air Force to focus on safety and conservation of available resources as he interacted with top commanders in New Delhi just days after India decided to buy 36 Rafale jets.
Choppers belonging to the Western Air Command carried out over 50 sorties over the last 48 hours, rescuing over 780 citizens in the flood-affected areas of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, Indian Air Force officials said.
'The greatness of India can be experienced by meeting Indians on the frontiers of India.' 'Every citizen on the border is a soldier'
The avalanche hit the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath between 5:30 am and 6 am on Friday, burying the workers inside eight containers and a shed, according to the Army.
The weather and other conditions are at the moment looking good and it is expected to reach the Ambala air base on time.
Forty-one Border Road Organisation labourers working to clear snow near the high altitude border village of Mana in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district were trapped under an avalanche on Friday.
It will be inducted into the IAF inventory at a ceremony in Jodhpur in presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
Aiming to further enhance their coordination, commanders of the IAF and Army formations deployed along the Pakistan border met in New Delhi to discuss their operational preparedness and strengthen cooperation.
NSA Doval, defence top brass brief Union ministers on the deal to help them counter Opposition charges.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Shukla says Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma -- the first Indian to travel to space --has been advising him about the space flight.
Almost five years later, the three services have still not fully understood that joint/theatre commands are not a discussion point; they are the prime minister's diktat on a military reform measure that is in line with what armed forces around the world have implemented, points out Ajai Shukla.
Indian Air Force equipment during the 1962 War 'cannot be compared to that of China' and it was 'not successful' in delivering supplies to beleaguered Indian troops, an official Chinese daily claimed today, days after IAF Chief NAK Browne said the use of Air Force would have changed the outcome of the conflict.
'The enemy knows he cannot defeat us in a conventional conflict. So today we showcase our ability to punish, our ability to insert and extricate our troops from hostile territories.'
In a candid admission, the Indian Air Force on Thursday said that given its depleting strength, it does not have the adequate numbers to "fully execute" an air campaign in case of a two-front war involving Pakistan and China simultaneously.
'The statement that Indian Air Force is supporting arm to the other two services is incorrect and wrong'
Air Commodore Nitin Sathe discovers how the IAF trained Pakistani air force pilots, during the 1971 War, which led to the birth of the Bangladesh air force.
'The accident was a result of entry into clouds due to unexpected change in weather conditions in the valley. This led to spatial disorientation of the pilot resulting in Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT),' it stated.
Ahead of Republic Day, the Indian Army announced on Thursday the addition of two new features to this year's parade: battlefield surveillance systems and a Defebce Research and Development Organisation tableau showcasing Pralay, short-range ballistic missiles.
India's top cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is not new to awards and honours, will be conferred with IAF's honorary rank of Group Captain. Once Tendulkar receives the honour, he would be the first sports person to be conferred a rank by IAF and the first personality with no aviation background to have got this honour.
In what is the first time Pakistan-based terrorists have used drones to strike vital installations, two bombs were dropped at the Indian Air Force station in Jammu airport in the early hours of Sunday, officials said.
A day after killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut, Israel conducted widespread strikes in Lebanon on Sunday, killing over 100 people. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) also launched airstrikes on military targets in Yemen, specifically targeting Houthi-controlled sites, including power plants and a seaport.
India will display its military prowess and cultural heritage at the 76th Republic Day celebrations on Kartavya Path in New Delhi. The parade will feature 16 tableaux from states and Union Territories, 15 from central ministries, and a tri-services tableau showcasing the spirit of "jointness" among the armed forces. The event will also include a flypast featuring 40 IAF aircraft and three Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft, as well as a display of cutting-edge defense platforms including BrahMos, Pinaka and Akash.
Everybody talks of China as the real threat, but we aren't even building a decisive capability against Pakistan, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
In a tweet, the IAF welcomed the "new bird" into its arsenal.
In the latest update on the Israel-Hamas conflict, Israeli Defence Forces Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus noted on Saturday that people in the Gaza Strip are listening to Israel's warning and are doing the right thing, noting that there has been a significant movement of Palestinian civilians towards the South.
Thirty-two years after the project was sanctioned, the first indigenously-built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft was on Saturday handed over by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to the Indian Air Force, a red letter day for Indian defence and aerospace sector.
'The inquiry would be completed expeditiously & facts brought out. Till then, to respect the dignity of the deceased, uninformed speculation may be avoided.'
Indian Air Force chief Air Marshal S P Tyagi on Monday denied that private airliners were luring away IAF pilots by offering them attractive salaries.\n\n
The IAF chief stressed on the ongoing development of advanced landing ground along the Himalayas.
Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Tuesday said that Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi terming the Poonch terror attack, in which an Indian Air Force soldier was killed, a 'poll stunt' violated the model code of conduct.
Unperturbed by reports about China selling 36 advanced fighter jets to Pakistan or its plans to launch an intelligence satellite, the Indian Air Force on Friday said there was 'nothing to worry' as Indian armed forces were capable of protecting the country's interest. "Do not worry and do not make people worry. Our country is strong enough. Our Army, Navy and Air Force are capable of looking after the interest of our country," IAF Chief P V Naik said.
So far, 14 Rafale jets are operating in the IAF and the number will go up to 18 after the arrival of the new batch.
The inquiry into the March 9 incident was done by Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Offensive) Air Vice Marshal R K Sinha where during routine maintenance and inspection, a BrahMos missile got fired accidentally and landed up in the Mian Channu area of Pakistan.
'The present generation, either due to historical amnesia or political propaganda, has been fed a narrative that paints India as an adversary rather than an ally.'
The Chinese aircraft have been regularly flying close to the LAC in the last three to four weeks which is seen as an attempt to probe the Indian defence mechanism in the area.
"We don't take chances with the medical fitness of a pilot," he said at a press conference.
His demise marks an end of a glorious era of the Indian Air Force.
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