When was the Indian Air Force established?
On October 8, 1932, the Indian Air Force came into being and on 1st April 1954 Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, one of the founding members of the Air Force took over as the first Indian Chief of Air Staff.
Which is the latest addition to the IAF’s arsenal?
The French Rafale is the latest addition to IAF's arsenal. It is a deadly, state-of-the-art 4.5 generation, Medium Multi-Role Combat aircraft that will boost India’s air dominance exponentially.
Who was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force?
The first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst, made the IAF an independent service under no control of the Army.
IAF’s motto ‘Nabha Sparsham Deeptham’ is taken from?
Indian Air Force’s motto ‘Nabha Sparsham Deeptham’, meaning ‘touch the sky with glory’, is taken from the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
Who is the only IAF officer to have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra?
Flying officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the only member of the Indian Air Force to have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his exemplary courage during the Indo-Pak war of 1971.
Who is the only IAF officer with a 5-star rank?
Arjan Singh was the only IAF officer with a 5-star rank. The honorary rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force is the highest possible rank and is equivalent to the position of Field Marshal of the Indian Army.
Who was the first woman Air Marshal in IAF?
The IAF got its first woman Air Marshal in the form of Padmavathy Bandopadhyay. She was the Director General Medical Services (Air) at the Air Headquarters.
Does the IAF have a base in a foreign country too?
The Farkhor Air base located in Farkhor near Tajikistan is India's first and only military base outside the country.
What was the IAF called from 1945 to 1950?
The Indian Air Force was referred to as the Royal Indian Air Force from 1945 to 1950, after King George VI. The prefix ‘Royal’ was dropped in 1950 after India became a republic.
IAF is ranked as the ___ largest air force in the world.
With around 1,70,000 personnel and 1,500 aircraft, it is the fourth largest air force in the world after US, China and Russia.
