The Indian
Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed
forces. Its
primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an
auxiliary air force of the British Raj and the prefix Royal was added in 1945 in recognition of
its services during World War II. After India
achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the Royal Indian Air
Force served the Dominion of
India, with
the prefix being dropped when India became a republic in 1950.
Since independence, the IAF has been
involved in four wars with neighboring Pakistan and one with the People's Republic of China. Other major operations undertaken
by the IAF include Operation Vijay - the invasion of Goa, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Cactus and Operation
Poomalai.
Apart from conflicts, the IAF has been an active participant in United Nations
peacekeeping missions.
The President of
India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the IAF. The Chief of Air
Staff, an
Air Chief Marshal (ACM), is a four-star commander and commands the Air Force. There is never more than one
serving ACM at any given time in the IAF. One officer Arjan Singh, DFC has been
conferred the rank of Marshal of the Air Force, a five-star rank and the
officer serves as the ceremonial chief.
In its publication the Military Balance
2010, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimates that the Indian Air Force has a strength of 127,000
active personnel and operated around 1,380 aircraft. However, various
reliable sources provided notably divergent estimates of its strength over the
years.