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27 Facts About Indian Air Force You Probably Did Not Know

jaiind

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1. Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the only IAF officer to have been honoured with the Param Vir Chakra.

Nirmal-Jit-Singh-Sekhon.jpg


He was awarded posthumously for his act of conspicuous gallantry in the 1971
Indo-Pak War.

2. The Indian Air Force actually never directly engaged the Pakistani Air Force in 1947 war.

IAF-in-Poonch.jpg

3. The IAF was technologically inferior to the PAF in 1965.
But IAF Gnats piloted by brave officers cut down Pakistani Sabres with such ferocity that the Gants came to known as ‘Sabre Slayers’.


4. India is building the 5th generation Sukhoi PAK FA in collaboration with Russia.

5. At its peak, IAF operated about 224 squadrons.

6. The IAF got its first woman Air Marshal in the form of Padmavathy Bandopadhyay.

7. The first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst, made the IAF an independent service under no control of the Army.

8. The honourary rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force is the highest achievable rank, and is equivalent to the rank of Field Marshal of the Indian Army.


9. The IAF is the fourth largest, professionally acclaimed, strategic Air Force in the world.

10. The Air Force has over 60 air bases spread all over India.

11. With 16 air bases, the Western Air Command is the largest Air Command.

12. Yes, the IAF has a base in a foreign country!IAF has a base in Farkhor, Tajikistan. Its only base outside India.

13. At 22,000 ft (or 6,706 m), Siachen Glacier AFS is the highest Air Force Station of the IAF.


4. The IAF Roundel (logo on the planes and IAF flag) has changed four times since 1933.

IAF-Roundel.jpg


15. The IAF was referred to as Royal Indian Air Force from 1945 to 1950.
King George VI conferred the prefix “Royal” in 1945. In 1950, when India became a republic, the prefix was dropped.


16. The IAF engaged in conflict outside the country in 1960, when Belgium’s 75-year rule over Congo ended abruptly.
The IAF activated No. 5 Squadron to support the United Nations Operation in the Congo.


17. The IAF destroyed more than 29 Pakistani tanks, 40 APCs and a railway train during the Battle of Longewala in the 1971 Indo-Pak War besides a number of critical installations.
By the time Pakistani forces surrendered, the IAF claimed that 94 PAF aircraft, including 54 F-86 Sabres had been shot down.


18. The IAF created a world record by performing the highest landing of a C-130J at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh at the height of 16614 feet (5065 meters).
The feat was accomplished on August 20, 2013.


19. The SEPECAT Jaguar and the Mikoyan MiG-27 serve as the IAF’s primary ground attack force.
The IAF currently operates 139 Jaguars and over 100 MiG-27s.


20. IAF’s first HAL-made fighter was HF-24 Marut.

It was designed by the famed German aerospace engineer Kurt Tank and operated from 1961 to 1985.


21. The Tejas is the second supersonic Light Combat Aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

22. IAF transport aircraft airlifted hundreds of Indian troops to secure the Siachen glacier during 1984 Operation Meghdoot.

23. The indigenously built HAL Light Combat Helicopter will be in service by December 2015.

24. The IAF’s primary air superiority fighter with the additional capability to conduct air-ground (strike) missions is Sukhoi Su-30MKI.

25. The IAF is the only air force that operates C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules, and Il-76 – the three largest transport aircrafts.

26. The IAF manages Air Force Network (AFNet), a state-of-the-art, fully secure and reliable network (Intranet) and gigabyte digital information grid.

27. Operation Rahat was the biggest civilian rescue operation in the world carried out by any air force using helicopters.

The rescue operation was launched by the IAF to evacuate civilians affected by the 2013 North India floods. The IAF airlifted a total of 19,600 people – flying a total of 2,140 sorties and dropping/landing a total of 3,82,400 kg of relief material and equipment.


 
1. The Tejas is the second supersonic Light Combat Aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

No, it's the first.

25. The IAF is the only air force that operates C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules, and Il-76 – the three largest transport aircrafts.

The largest is the C-5 galaxy.
 
the 12th one was real surprise
what is the reason behind it , can anyone clarify
 


Got this from wiki

Farkhor Air Base is a military air base located near the town of FarkhorinTajikistan, 130 kilometers (81 mi) south east of the capital Dushanbe. It is operated by the Indian Air Force[2]in collaboration with theTajikistan Air Force

history behind it

In 1996-97, theResearch and Analysis Wing(RAW) started negotiations with Tajikistan to use the Farkhor Airbase to transport high-altitude military supplies to the Afghan Northern Alliance, service their helicopters and gather intelligence .

At that time, India operated a small military hospital in the Farkhor region. The hospital at Farkhor was used to treat Afghan Northern Alliance members injured in fighting with theTaliban, including military leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was rushed there after the suicide attack against him.

The Farkhor Air Base would give the Indian military the required depth and range in seeking a larger role in the Indian Subcontinent and is a tangible manifestation of India’s move to project its power in Central Asia, a policy goal formally enunciated in 2003–2004.

The potential implications of this base go far beyond the Indo-Pakistani rivalry on the subcontinent. Pakistan fears being encircled by India with the base in Farkhor operational.Former Pakistan PresidentPervez Musharraf raised concerns to the Tajik government of the fact that Indian planes would be able reach Pakistan within minutes using the air base. :devil:
 
No, it's the first.



The largest is the C-5 galaxy.
The largest is the AN-225

I wish the IAF has stuck with this roundal (albeit it smaller than that), it is very unique and aesthetically pleasing like the RAAF's Kangaroo or the RCAF's Maple leaf or the IsAF's Star of David. The current roundal is so bog standard and unimaginative.
 
No its the second. First being Hal Marut.
HAL Marut was subsonic for all practical purposes. It could barely reach supersonic speeds, and only under very ideal conditions. The airframe was designed to be mach 2+, but unfortunately the engine did not provide the required thrust. The engine proved to be the achiles heel. Otherwise it was a fantastic airframe for its time.

HAL HF-24 Marut - Aircraft Wiki

The largest is the AN-225

Technically its the AN225:) but there is only one in service:)


True, the An-124 slipped my mind. Only one An-225 has ever entered service, so I'm disregarding it.
 
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