Page 19 - Indian Air Force

2024 to be year of technolgy absorption: Army Chief General Manoj Pande

General Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff on Monday extended his greetings on the occasion of 76th Army Day

IAF indigenised more than 60,000 components in last 2-3 yrs: VR Chaudhari

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari has said the IAF has indigenised more than 60,000 components in the last two to three years. He also said the Air Force cannot rely on foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) for repair and overhaul maintenance activities and that it has to be done in-house. The IAF chief was speaking with reporters on the sidelines of a programme held in the Bhonsala Military School in Nagpur on Saturday. Queried on tracing the wreckage of a transport aircraft of Indian Air Force in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast, the Air Chief Marshal said, "Unfortunately, it took so long but finally we at least got the technology to (explore) deep sea and locate such things in seabed". "We are grateful to the Ministry of Ocean and Earth Sciences for facilitating this and to be able to discover this wreckage. It brings closure to a long pending sad accident". The wreckage of an IAF transport aircraft has been located at a depth of around 3.4 km in the Bay of Bengal

IAF indigenised more than 60,000 components in 2-3 years: Air Chief Marshal

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Saturday said the IAF has indigenised more than 60,000 components in the last two to three years. He also said the Air Force cannot rely on foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) for repair and overhaul maintenance activities and that it has to be done in-house. The IAF chief was speaking with reporters on the sidelines of a programme held in the Bhonsala Military School in Nagpur. Queried on tracing the wreckage of a transport aircraft of Indian Air Force in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast, the Air Chief Marshal said, "Unfortunately, it took so long but finally we at least got the technology to (explore) deep sea and locate such things in seabed". "We are grateful to the Ministry of Ocean and Earth Sciences for facilitating this and to be able to discover this wreckage. It brings closure to a long pending sad accident". The wreckage of an IAF transport aircraft has been located at a depth of around 3.4 km in the Bay of Bengal, ne

Indian Army indigenously develops secure mobile ecosystem SAMBHAV

In line with the ethos of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', the Indian Army has indigenously developed an "end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem" to provide secure communication with instant connectivity on the move, according to officials. The ecosystem -- SAMBHAV (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version) -- operates on the state-of-the-art contemporary 5G technology and will represent a "significant leap forward in India's defence capability", a senior official said. It has been developed in close collaboration with national centres of excellence from the academia and industry. "Mobile networks are prone to eavesdropping and therefore information security of mobiles is at risk of being compromised. An end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem which is network-agnostic has been developed to provide secure communication with instant connectivity on the move," the official said. This leverages the potential of indigenous public cellular networks in the country and the ecosystem has "5G -ready handsets using ..

'Shaurya Sankalan': Army building archives to preserve military history

Nearly 700 hours of audio-visual content and 11 lakh pages related to "declassified records" on the 1948 Jammu and Kashmir conflict, 1961 Goa Liberation and the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 have been archived as part of a project to preserve the Army's glorious past for posterity, officials said on Friday. This has been done under Project 'Shaurya Sankalan: Digital Archiving of Military History' of the Army, they said. "Nearly 11 lakh pages and 700 hours of audio-visual content related to declassified records from 1948 Jammu and Kashmir conflict, 1961 Goa Liberation (Operation VIJAY) and 1965 and 1971 India-Pakistan wars, held with over 1300 units, formations, regimental centres and military museums in the form of battle memoirs," a senior official said. "After-action reports" and audio-visual films have been cured, digitised and preserved in the 'Digital Archive Kiosk' created at the United Services Institute of India, New Delhi, he said. Subsequently, another kiosk will b

DRDO successfully flight-tests new Akash missile off Odisha coast

Lighter and more deadly, the Akash-NG will protect airfields in the northeast

IAF's C-130 J aircraft carries out maiden night landing at Kargil airstrip

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday announced a significant milestone as an IAF C-130 J aircraft executed a night landing at the Kargil airstrip.

India in 2023 focused on acquiring new military platforms, weaponry

India firmed up defence procurement worth over Rs 3.50 lakh crore in 2023 as the lingering border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh as well as the crises and conflicts around the world kept the military focused on ways to enhance the country's overall combat prowess to firmly deal with any security challenges. India also went on an overdrive in expanding its military engagement with like-minded countries in its neighbourhood and beyond in the face of China's relentless attempts to become a regional hegemon and establish its primacy in South Asia. The Indian troops guarding the nearly 3,500 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) maintained an assertive approach as the eastern Ladakh border spilled into the fourth year even as both sides held several rounds of high-level military and diplomatic talks to resolve it. The face-off between the two of the planet's biggest military forces mainly continued in Demchok and Depsang regions though both sides completed disengagement in several other

Celebrities fought legal battles in HC; Court upheld 'Agnipath' in 2023

High-profile legal battles involving political luminaries, Bollywood celebrities and corporate bosses unfolded in the Delhi High Court in 2023 and kept it abuzz with activity. Amid the unrelenting cut and thrust of these battles, the Delhi High Court also gave the thumbs up for the Modi government's Agnipath scheme, launched in June 2022 for recruiting soldiers, sailors and airmen for a four-year period. The scheme, which envisaged an overhaul of India's fighting machine, making it sturdier with the induction of young people aged 17.5 and 21 years, was reviled by its detractors, got resounding endorsement from supporters, and upheld by the court. The high court also saw skirmishes involving media entities over alleged violation of Indian laws. From the Gandhis of the Congress to a host of beleaguered Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders like former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Raghav Chadha and Satyendar Jain knocked on its door for relief in matters that ranged from allege

Ex-IAF squadron leader convicted for amassing illicit assets in land deal

A Special Court has convicted a former Indian Air Force Squadron Leader for allegedly moving funds for a former Congress MP for a land deal and amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 40.36 lakh, officials said Monday. Squadron Leader Polu Sreedhar, facing several health issues, was not given any respite by the court, which convicted him for amassing assets that could not satisfactorily be accounted for, they said. The special court will start hearing arguments on the quantum of the sentence from January 2 next year, they said. In its FIR, the CBI had alleged that from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2010, deposits worth Rs 11.9 crore were made in his three accounts in Axis Bank. The money allegedly belonged to former Congress MP Balashowry Vallabbhaneni and was supposed to go towards a land deal worth Rs 12.5 crore. The CBI registered the case on September 27, 2016, against Sreedhar, Balashowry, and bank manager Manish Saxena. The agency filed a charge sheet six years later, o

Air power would continue to play a pivotal role, says Chief of Air Staff

The world is at a pivotal juncture and winds of change are blowing strongly in India's favour, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari said on Friday. The Air Chief Marshal also said that India's rise in the Global South marks a "pivotal point" in international affairs. He was speaking at a seminar on "India and Global South: Challenges and Opportunities". "Rooted in a rich historical tapestry, the country's emergence from colonial shadows to a prominent global player brings forth a myriad of challenges and opportunities," the chief of Indian Air Force said. "Understanding the complex dynamics at play is crucial in navigating a future shaped by interconnectedness," he said. The 20th Subroto Mukherjee seminar was organised by Centre for Air Power Studies. "As we navigate these uncharted skies, air power being a key component of national power, would undoubtedly play a pivotal role and also serve as a symbol of national strength, a tool for peace and collaboration," he .

Traditions, innovations should be balanced in armed forces: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday stressed the need for maintaining traditions of the armed forces while adopting innovation and said there has to be a balance between both of them. Addressing the Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy at Dundigul near here, Singh opined that following traditions would only make the system like stagnant water in a lake, and if it is coupled with innovation, it will become a river always providing fresh water. Traditions are important in the armed forces, because they are time tested. They served useful purposes for a long time. That's why giving proper importance to the traditions is also necessary. There is one important thing. If we follow traditions without any thinking, there will be stagnation in our system naturally, the union minister said. He emphasised on the importance of innovation in the ever-changing circumstances in the world. Singh also exhorted the newly commissioned flying officers to always keep up their new thinki

Aatmanirbhar campaign gaining ground, says IAF Chief VR Chaudhari

The focal point of his strategic vision integrates cutting-edge technologies to bolster IAF's operational capabilities

First Indian astronaut on moon by 2040, says Isro Chairman Somanath

Four test pilots from the Indian Air Force have been selected as astronaut designates for the mission and they are undergoing mission-specific training at the ATF in Bengaluru

Cyclone Michaung: IAF air-drops 2,300 kg relief aid in flood-affected areas

The IAF was working in liaison with the Tamil Nadu government while the relief materials were being provided by various agencies in the state

CDS General Anil Chauhan to open HAL's avionics exposition in Delhi

State-owned aerospace and defence equipment maker to showcase capabilities in avionics

Air Force officer Manisha Padhi appointed India's first woman Aide de Camp

Squadron Leader Padhi formally joined her post and reported to the Governor on November 29. She was introduced to the officers and staff of the Raj Bhavan at Aizawl

IAF trainer aircraft crashes during sortie in Telangana, 2 pilots dead

: A trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force with two officers on board crashed in Medak district of Telangana on Monday morning, according to the police. The incident occurred in Toopran mandal of the district, they said adding a trainer and a trainee pilot were inside the aircraft while it crashed. Their condition was still not known, police added. The aircraft took off from Air Force Academy (AFA) at Dundigal near here, a senior police official told PTI. The AFA authorities reached the spot, the officer said.

Govt committed to increasing strength of women in armed forces: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the government is committed to increasing the strength of women in the armed forces. He was speaking at the Navy Day event held in coastal Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. We are emphasising increasing the number of women in the armed forces, he said. Today, India is setting bigger targets for itself and is utilising its full potential to achieve those targets," he said. Modi said India is giving unprecedented support to port-led development. "Merchant shipping is also being encouraged. India is moving towards utilising the potential of its oceans," he said. He said ranks in the Indian Navy would be renamed according to the Indian culture. Shortly before the Navy Day event, Modi unveiled a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot fort in the district. Modi later witnessed the operational demonstrations by Indian Navy ships, submarines, aircraft and Special Forces from the Tarkarli beach.

Development of Thanjavur airport put on fast track; AAI to invest Rs 200 cr

Thanjavur airport is an Air Force Station owned and operated by IAF