Today marks the 90th anniversary of the Indian Air Force, and to mark the occasion, it is being held outside of Delhi for the first time. The Chandigarh celebrations will include an eye-catching hour-long air display with up to 80 planes over the Sukhna Lake. Additionally presented today was a new combat uniform.
The chief guest, Air Chief Marshall VR Chaudhary, Chief of the Air Staff, reviewed the parade and made the announcement that a new operational branch of the Air Force had been established.
The chief guest, Air Chief Marshall VR Chaudhary, Chief of the Air Staff, reviewed the parade and made the announcement that a new operational branch of the Air Force had been established.
“It is my honour to report that the government has authorised the establishment of a Weapon System Branch for the officers in the IAF on this momentous occasion. Since gaining independence, a new operational branch has never been established. This will primarily be for staffing the force’s specialised streams of operators for remotely piloted aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, and weapon systems in twin and multi-crew aircraft “VR Chaudhary, the head of the air force, stated that by cutting back on the cost of flying instruction, the government will save more than Rs 3,400 crore.
The Air Chief Marshal also stated that the military intends to begin inducting female agnivesers the following year. The development of infrastructure and the finalisation of the simplification of the trade structure, he said.
IAF Day this year has atmanirbharta, or indigenization, as its theme. IAF Day will highlight a number of made-in-India platforms, including the recently inducted Prachand Light Combat Helicopters, which entered service last week.
The main visitor today is President Draupadi Murmu, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also be present at the ceremonies, which will take place throughout the morning and afternoon.
At Chandigarh Air Base, things began at nine in the morning with a speech by the IAF Chief and the debut of the new battle uniform. At 2:45 pm, the fly-past above Sukhna Lake starts.
The official induction of the Indian Air Component as a supporting force of the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom in 1932 is commemorated on Air Force Day. The chief of the Indian Air Force and senior officers attend each year’s celebration of the day.
The General Salute was given to Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) Western Air Command upon his entry into the parade throng because the parade is staged under his command.
With the introduction of light combat aircraft Tejas, Arudhra, and Aslesha radar, Astra air-to-air missiles, Akash surface-to-air missile system, advanced light helicopters, integrated air command and control system, and integrated material management online system, we have been at the forefront of indigenization, according to the event announcer.
According to organisers, an ALH Mk IV helicopter would pass by in Rudra formation during the parade. The mechanical transport team will do a quick vehicle disassembly and assembly display at the event, which will be followed by an air warrior drill team performance.
The fly-past will happen at Sukhna Lake later in the day.
A three-ship formation of the recently inducted indigenously constructed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) “Prachand” will display its aerial capabilities during the fly-past.
The 5.8-tonne, twin-engine LCH, built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), is equipped with air-to-air missiles, 20 mm turret guns, and rocket systems. It can destroy enemy tanks, bunkers, drones, and other assets in high-altitude areas.
Along with LCH “Prachand,” other aircraft taking part in the fly-past include the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Sukhoi, Mig-29, Jaguar, Rafale, IL-76, C-130J, and Hawk.
The Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Chinook, Apache, and Mi-17 will be among the helicopters participating in the aerial demonstration.
An ‘Aakash Ganga’ team of paratroopers in an AN-32 aircraft will lead off the fly-past. A “bambi bucket” firefighting operation will be carried out by Mi 17 V5 helicopters, while helo casting will be done by Mi 17 IV helicopters.
The Bhim formation will be carried out by US-made Chinook helicopters, which are intended to ferry soldiers, artillery, and other supplies.
In “Sekhon” configuration, Rafale, Jaguar, Tejas, and Mirage 2000 will fly. The late Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, an IAF officer and recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, is honoured with this creation.
After the entrance of the chief guest, President Murmu, the crowd will be mesmerised by the “Ensign” formation, which consists of three Mi-17 V5 helicopters.
According to the officials, the Globe formation will consist of a C-17 heavy lift aircraft and nine Hawk-132 jets trained by the Surya Kiran demonstration team.
A Mi-35 will be in the lead of the Eklavya formation, which will also include two Apache and ALH Mk IV helicopters. The “Big Boy” formation will be made up of an IL-76 and two AN-32 aircraft.
The Harvard and Dakota vintage IAF aircraft will also participate in the air display. Additionally, the Surya Kiran team of nine Hawks and the Sarang helicopter show team of four Dhruvs will take the stage.Additionally, a Vajraang formation made up of a C-130J and a Sukhoi-30 as well as a Netra formation using Sukhoi-30 and Mig 29 fighter jets and airborne early warning and control aircraft will be present.
