Indian Air Force Day is celebrated every year by the Indian Air Force on the 8th of October. This year Indian Air Force celebrated its 89th anniversary. Indian Air Force was officially established on 8 October 1932 by the British Empire as the Royal Indian Air Force. The name was changed to Indian Air Force in 1950.
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Why Indian Air Force Day is celebrated on 8th October?
The IAF was founded on October 8, 1932, and the force has participated in several crucial wars and landmark missions. It was officially established as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India’s aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal. After India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government’s transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.
- IAF ranks as the fourth largest operational air force in the world
- The motto of the Indian Air Force is ‘Touch the Sky with Glory’ and it was taken from the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita
- The air force employs about 170,000 personnel and over 1,400 aircraft
- After independence, the air force took part in four wars with Pakistan and one with the People’s Republic of China
- IAF works with the United Nations peacekeeping missions.
- IAF took part in relief operations during natural calamities such as the Gujarat cyclone in 1998, the tsunami in 2004, and floods in North India. The IAF has also been part of relief missions such as Operation Rainbow in Sri Lanka.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chiefs of Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari.