Indian Air Force

Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Friday said the decisive role of air power as the primary responder and deterrent has clearly emerged in the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor. The IAF chief said that though the operation was short, it was intense and it demonstrated the synchronisation between military and political leadership. The decisive role of air power as the primary responder and deterrent has clearly emerged, he said, an official statement quoting him said. The air chief marshal was delivering the keynote address for the first Air Commodore Mehar Singh memorial talk at the Air Force Station, Chandigarh, on Friday. Looking ahead, he stressed the importance of indigenisation, R&D, jointness and synergy to strengthen future capabilities. The event was organised to reflect on the enduring legacy of Air Commodore Mehar Singh. Anchit Gupta, an Indian historian specialising in the history of the Indian Air Force, covered Air Commodore Mehar Singh's achievements and ...

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Friday inaugurated the upgraded runway at the IAF's Car Nicobar air base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The CDS arrived in Car Nicobar island around 11.30 am and was welcomed by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and several other senior officials. "The CDS inaugurated the resurfaced and upgraded runway at the Indian Air Force's Car Nicobar Air Base," an official said. Located nearly 535 km from Sri Vijaya Puram, Car Nicobar in Nicobar district suffered the maximum damage during the 2004 Tsunami. "The upgraded runway will give more strength to the eastern front due to its direct strategic oversight of the Malacca Strait - a global maritime lifeline/passage for international trade and energy supplies through ships. It will give the Indian Air Force (IAF) more ability for quick air operations," the senior official said. The apron areas have been expanded for smooth aircraft ...

The IAF's Software Development Institute (SDI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT-Madras for the joint design and development of an indigenous digital communication system for airborne applications. This collaboration marks a significant step towards realising the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, fostering self-reliance in defence technology and enhancing India's strategic capabilities, an official release said on Monday. The MoU was signed by Air Vice Marshal R Guruhari, Commandant, SDI; Prof V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras and Dr M J Shankar Raman, CEO, Pravartak Technologies Foundation. Through this partnership, the Indian Air Force (IAF) aims to develop advanced algorithms for networking and encryption in collaboration with IIT Madras, the release said. These systems are critical for secure, reliable, and high-performance data exchange in dynamic airborne environments, essential for modern military operations and networked warfare. By developing this ...

As India prepares to procure up to 80 military transport planes, US aerospace major Lockheed Martin has pitched its C-130J Super Hercules as the best choice and said an additional fleet of the aircraft will provide it a "stronger" heft for tactical airlift among the Quad nations. If Lockheed Martin gets the opportunity, then it will set up a mega hub in India to produce the "iconic" aircraft and it will be the first such global facility outside of the US, top officials of the company told PTI. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 560 aircraft from the C-130J Super Hercules family, which have accumulated more than three million flight hours. The leading tactical airlift has been serving 28 operators in 23 nations. The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently operates 12 C-130Js. Alongside the standard transport variant, Lockheed Martin offers multiple specialised configurations of the C-130J which enable the aircraft to perform intelligence, electronic warfare, special forces ..

On the second day of his visit to Egypt, the Chief of the Air Staff visited Cairo West Air Base. He also interacted with Suresh K Reddy, Ambassador of India to Egypt, at India House, Cairo

When Pakistan attacked Indian defence installations during Operation Sindoor, which was "getting a little out of hand", the Indian Air Force retaliated hard, striking their military targets and hitting where it "hurt the most", a former IAF chief said on Tuesday. This prompted Islamabad to waive the "white flag" after the four-day-long conflict in May, said Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari (retd). Chaudhari emphasised the Indian government took a very bold decision to strike deep inside Pakistan to destroy terror camps in retaliation of the Pahalgam massacre in April in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by attackers backed by the neighbouring country. Operation Sindoor was result of a very bold planning by joint teams of all the three services - the Army, Navy and Air Force, he noted. Chaudhari was speaking at an event in IIT Bombay where former Navy chief R Hari Kumar and ex- Army chief Manoj Pande were also present. On May 7, India struck nine terror camps deep inside

Asserting that war and warfare is at the cusp of a major revolution, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Saturday said the Indian Defence forces are committed to adapting to changing environment and imbibing reforms to remain ready and relevant. Addressing the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) of 216 Course held at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal near here, General Chauhan said India's strength rests on robust institutions, democratic stability, and unwavering professionalism of our Armed Forces. He said the intensity of operations may have ebbed, but Operation Sindoor continues. "You (new officers) also join the Air Force at a moment when a new normal has firmly taken shape. An era defined by a high degree of operational preparedness, 24-7, 365 days. The intensity of operations may have ebbed, but Operation Sindhur continues," he said. He further said the newly trained officers are entering the Indian Air Force during a phase of deep transformation of the Indian

MRO operations will start in early 2027

Two transport aircraft of the IAF C-130J and IL-76 delivered nearly 21 tonnes of relief material in Colombo on Saturday as part of India's humanitarian assistance extended to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu, launched to assist the island nation in its hour of crisis in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah. Also, INS Sukanya, carrying more humanitarian aid, has left Visakhapatnam and is expected to reach Sri Lanka soon, officials said. A C-130J transport aircraft carrying approximately 12 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, and ready-to-eat food items, landed in Colombo today morning, a senior official said on Saturday. An IL-76 aircraft carrying 9 tonnes of relief material, 80 NDRF personnel, four canines, and 8 tonnes of NDRF HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) equipment also landed in Colombo on Saturday morning, the official added. Besides, two Chetak helicopters from the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant are ..

An Indian Air Force aircraft carrying emergency relief material for those displaced by unprecedented floods arrived in Sri Lanka early on Saturday morning. The C130 aircraft carrying essential food items and sanitary supplies reached Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport airport at around 1.30 am and was received by the Indian High Commission officials and Sri Lanka Air Force officers. India on Friday launched Operation Sagar Bandhu' to assist Sri Lanka in its hour of crisis, and the first tranche of relief materials was handed over after the consignments were transported by the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and frontline ship INS Udaigiri to the island nation. The relief came as Sri Lankan authorities warned of an unprecedented disaster situation in the Western Province from Friday night due to rising water levels in the Kelani and Attanagalu rivers. Sri Lanka is facing one of its worst disasters as cyclonic storm Ditwah wreaked havoc, causing floods and ...

Wing Commander Namansh Syal, 37, was performing a low-level aerobatic manoeuvre when the LCA Mk-1 went down; IAF has ordered court of inquiry as Himachal mourns loss of its decorated officer

Second known peacetime incident involving Indian-made combat jet

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, while emphasising the need for achieving jointness and integration in the armed forces, has said that each service will "retain its individual identity", and their best practices will be incorporated. During an interactive session held at an event here on Saturday, he also cited instances from the recent Operation Sindoor that demonstrated the jointness among the three services -- Army, Navy and the Air Force. He took part in the two-day Indian Military Heritage Festival hosted by the defence think-tank USI, from November 14-15. During the interaction, centred around his new book -- 'Ready, Relevant and Resurgent II: Shaping a Future Ready Force', he hinted that there may be a third volume in the offing, which would also have details related to Operation Sindoor. Asked about the government's vision to achieve jointness and integration among the three services of the armed forces, he cited a few examples from the recent military action of Ind

IAF's Su-30MKI jets will operate alongside French multi-role fighters in complex simulated air combat scenarios, as part of a bilateral exercise to be held from November 16-27, officials said on Saturday. Air exercise 'Garuda 25' will be held at Mont-de-Marsan, France. The Indian Air Force is participating in the eighth edition of the bilateral air exercise, with the French Air and Space Force (FASF), the defence ministry said. The IAF contingent arrived in France on November 10, and will be participating with Su-30MKl fighter aircraft. "The airlift support is being provided by the C-17 Globemaster III, for the induction and de-induction phases of the exercise, while the IL-78 air-to-air refuelling tankers are utilised for extending the range and endurance of the participating fighters," the ministry said in a statement. During the exercise, the IAF's Su-30MKI aircraft will operate alongside French multi-role fighters in "complex simulated air combat scenarios, focusing on air-to-

An Indian Air Force aircraft which was on a routine training mission crashed near Tambaram here on Friday afternoon, officials said. The pilot ejected safely, they said. "An Indian Air Force aircraft 'Pilatus PC-7', which was on a routine training mission, crashed near Tambaram in Chennai on November 14. The pilot ejected safely," an official release said. Responding to a query, an official told PTI that the incident occurred around 2 pm. "A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause," the release added.

Operation Sindoor has shown how an effective operation can be conducted, and had it not been for a "good and robust network", the force might not have been as successful as it was in the military action, a top IAF official said on Tuesday. In his address at a defence seminar, Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS) Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari also said the country's integrated network system for the military has evolved in the past 20 years or so, and it allows it to have an "air picture" to monitor the entire country for potential adversarial threat. He spoke of the importance of the networks and how air defence systems like the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) of the Indian Air Force played a key role in Operation Sindoor conducted in May. India launched the military operation early on May 7 and decimated multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan also launched offensives against India, and all subsequent counter-offensives