ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
IAF
Special
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari arriving for his IAF Day address
IAF SHARP FOCUSSES ON THREAT FROM CHINA IAF displays show of strength on 89th Air Force Day
Photographs: Indian Air Force
By Vishal Thapar India flexed its air power muscle on the 89th Indian Air Force (IAF) Day on October 8 under the shadow of the continuing military stand-off with China, with the IAF Chief pledging to defend the nation’s territorial integrity. “We must demonstrate to the nation that external forces will not be allowed to violate our territory,” Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari declared in his Air Force Day address at the Hindon airbase on the outskirts of New Delhi. “The prompt actions in response to developments in Eastern Ladakh were a testament of IAF’s combat readiness,” he said, very clearly identifying India’s principal military challenge. “Remember that it is our sacred duty to protect our nation’s sovereignty and integrity at any cost and you are to do what it takes to ensure that we do not let the nation down,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari exhorted his force. The IAF lined up its most potent assets for the Air Force Day Parade and carried out an impressive flypast featuring its frontline fighter aircraft. All unit citations awarded by the IAF Chief were for deterrence action in Eastern Ladakh, the scene of the continuing face-off with China. 47 Squadron equipped with the MiG-29UPG received recognition for its “offensive posture” in the Northern Sector, where it was deployed in May 2020 for extensive Air Defence as well as
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Air-to-Ground operations at high altitude. 116 Helicopter Unit equipped with the indigenous armed Advanced Light Helicopter Mk IV ‘Rudra’ received the Chief’s citation for deployment in an offensive, high-altitude operations in Ladakh after the Galwan skirmish in May 2020. “The Unit quickly established the first ever high-altitude Attack Helicopter Detachment in the region and executed day and night operations, including Air to Ground weapons delivery at high altitudes. Operating the indigenous state-of-the-art Rudra, the unit continues to achieve important milestones for the Indian Aviation Industry,” the Unit Citation stated. The 2255 Squadron Detachment, a frontline OSA-AK-M surface-to-air missile unit, received the recognition for an effective role in its first-ever hi-altitude deployment in a No War No Peace scenario. It was mobilised for Air Defence activation in Ladakh in June 2020 in response to the Galwan stand-off. “Since then, the Squadron has undertaken various innovations to sustain serviceability and reliability of its (legacy) equipment. This has enabled it to maintain its Operational Readiness in harsh climatic conditions, even through the harsh winter of Ladakh,” the Citation declared. The Air Chief lauded the force for its massive airlift in support of the national effort to battle the COVID pandemic. Self-reliance was the other big focus, with “Atmanirbhar
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