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Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is not against theaterisation and it is insisting on having an objective approach for any new initiative that should ensure minimal disruption to the existing structures, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Saturday. In an address at an event in Kanpur, the Air Chief Marshal called for not "shaking up" the existing system and batted for looking internally to further enhance India's military prowess rather than copying anything from another country. The government had announced the theaterisation plan in 2019 to ensure greater synergy among the three services. However, no visible forward movement has been made towards it. Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations. "I can assure my own people here that the Air Force is not against theaterisation the way the media puts it," he said. "What the Air Force ha
A serving Indian Air Force officer has been arrested following a complaint by the IAF that he allegedly shared information concerning the military after being honey-trapped by a Pakistani intelligence operative via social media, police said on Saturday. A case was registered under provisions of the Official Secrets Act against the officer and arrested on May 30. The chargesheet was filed before the competent court on July 30 after completion of the investigation, police said in a statement. "Based upon a complaint by the Indian Air Force authorities, a serving air force officer was arrested on May 30 on allegations of being honey-trapped by a Pakistani intelligence operative," it said. Police sources said that the officer allegedly shared information concerning military-related activities. The investigation is linked to a suspected espionage network in which the accused officer was allegedly contacted through social media by a woman. The woman allegedly established contact with th
Air Marshal Tejpal Singh, a fighter pilot with over 3,500 hours of flying experience, on Saturday took charge as the new Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, officials said. The air officer succeeds Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, who superannuated on Friday after 39 years of distinguished service to the nation. Air Marshal Singh laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to soldiers who laid down their lives in service of the nation. Air Marshal Singh who was commissioned on June 16, 1990, as a fighter pilot has over 3,500 hours of flying experience, the defence ministry said in a statement. He is a Cat 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot. The air marshal has held key operational, command and staff appointments in the Indian Air Force.
Multiple Rafale aircraft of the Indian Air Force will be part of the mega international air exercise 'Pitch Black' being hosted by Australia from July 20 to August 7, officials said. The exercise will sharpen operational synergy and facilitate the exchange of best practices, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said on Friday. Pitch Dark is the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) largest international exercise featuring complex, combat-like scenarios across one of the largest military training areas in the world over a three-week period in Darwin, according to the RAAF's website. Alongside the exercise, the Northern Territory community will once again have the opportunity to see participating aircraft in the air and on the ground, and meet military personnel from Brunei, Canada, Fiji, Finland, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the UK and the US, it says. The IAF posted on X on Friday,
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who served as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff during Operation Sindoor, took charge as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff on Wednesday, officials said. He succeeded Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who superannuated on June 30 after four decades of service in the Indian Air Force (IAF). Air Marshal Dixit was accorded a guard of honour at the Vayu Bhawan the headquarters of the IAF as he took charge as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS). Prior to the ceremony, the air officer visited the National War Memorial and laid a wreath to pay homage to the fallen heroes of the armed forces. Before being appointed as VCAS, he was serving as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) at the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) here. Air Marshal Dixit assumed the appointment of CISC on May 1, 2025, which he relinquished on June 30. The HQ IDS said in an X post on Tuesday, "His tenure at HQ IDS was defined by landmark contributions that reshap
India's Indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System was on Thursday accorded Final Operational Clearance, marking a major milestone by paving the way for operational exploitation by the Indian Air Force. Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, SYSM AVSM VM Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, formally declared the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) of the Netra AEW&C system in a ceremony held at the Centre for Airborne Systems here. At the event here, the indigenous Netra (AEW&C) System and the FOC certificate were also unveiled. Speaking on the occasion, Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said, "It is indeed a proud moment to declare the AEW&C's Final Operational Clearance. This is not merely the culmination of an indigenous technology programme, but a celebration of the unique partnership between the Indian Air Force and the scientific community in fulfilling India's quest for Atmanirbharta." Noting that the journey of the AEW&C has been extraordinary, .
An Indian Air Force aeroplane, AN-32, has crashed while landing in Assam's Jorhat district on Saturday, a defence spokesperson said. The incident occurred while the aircraft was landing at the IAF's airbase in the Rowriah area. Senior IAF officials have rushed to the area, and casualty, if any, is yet to be ascertained, the spokesperson said. Further details are awaited, he added.
The first made-in-India C-295 military transport aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said on Wednesday. The IAF is procuring 56 C-295 transport aircraft at a cost of around Rs 21,935 crore. Forty of these aircraft will be assembled by Tata Advanced Systems Limited in cooperation with Airbus at a production facility in Vadodara. The IAF congratulated the entire team behind the successful maiden flight of the first India-made C-295. "The achievement reinforces India's growing aerospace capabilities and underscores the Indian Air Force's commitment to fostering indigenous defence capability under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat," it said.
A fire broke out in a forest area in Kasauli and at least two Indian Air Force helicopters were deployed to douse the blaze, officials said on Tuesday. The forest fire was reported near the Air Force Station in Kasauli, they said. The fire engulfed a significant portion of forest. Teams of the forest department and several fire tenders rushed to douse the fire but were unable to put out the fire. The IAF then deployed its Mil Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters to put out the fire, especially in inaccessible areas of the forest. Water was also lifted from Chandigarh's Sukhna Lake to douse the fire. Till last reports were received, efforts were still underway to put out the fire, officials said. In another incident, a forest fire was also reported in Rajhana village near Shimla. Teams of forest and fire departments rushed to put out the fire. Officials have stated that the rise in temperatures over the past few days is likely the cause behind the forest fires.