Air Force Day

The 8th of the October is observed as the Air Force Day in India. It is an annual event that is hugely celebrated by the defence services in India, especially by the Air Force. The Air Force Day is actually the day of establishment of Air Force. The Air Force is a branch of the Indian defence services and one among the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The Air Force Day is a great event for the Indian Air Force as well as the entire nation.

Air Force Day 2020

The nation is going to observe its 88th anniversary of the Air Force Day in the year 2020. It would be Thursday on the 8th of October 2020, and there is a huge excitement among people and the personals from the Indian Air Force regarding the celebration of the event.

Head of all the three forces as Indian Army, Navy and Air Force will stand together and enjoy the programmes organized by the Indian Air Force. There is a great impact of global pandemic ‘Corona Virus’ throughout the year. In such a critical situation, it would worth to be seen how the defence services are going to observe such an important occasion.

History

Indian Air Force Day is celebrated every year as the Foundation Day of the Air Force. The Indian Air Force was formed on 8 October 1932. At that time, India was under the British Government and was named the ‘Royal Air Force’. At the time of the formation of the first squad of the Air Force, 6 RAF-Trend Officers, and 19 Airmen were included in it. It played an important role in the Second World War. On 15 August 1947, after the independence of India, the word ‘Royal’ was removed from it and became Indian Air Force.

Since 1932 onwards, the entire nation is observing the Air Force Day annually in the memory of the institution of the Indian Air Force. The event is observed with enthusiasm around the nation. Along with the anniversary of the Air Force, this day is also celebrated to commemorate and encourage the Indian Air Force for its various achievements.

Activities/Celebration

The first official celebration of the Air Force Day had held on 8 October 1932 as the auxiliary air force of the Indian Empire. In the year 2020, the Central Air Command will be celebrated the 88th anniversary of the Indian Air Force on 8 October with great enthusiasm at various air stations across the country. Aircraft and helicopters deployed in various important operations like Operation Rahat and Operation Meghdoot will also be displayed. Along with this, new aircraft designed for various missions are also displayed, and their features and objectives are explained.

The cadets perform various programmes, activities and parade at all the bases of Indian Air Force. These parades are meant to show the capabilities of our Air Force to the entire nation and also the entire world as they are broadcast over national and international TV channels.  These parades are held early morning as the grand observation of the event.

The defence personals and also the civilians take an oath to serve their nation throughout their lives and never be a traitor to their motherland. It fills the citizen with a sense of pride and equality and spread brotherhood among them with increasing the feeling of nationality to them. People also pay homage to the martyrs of the Indian Air Force and honour their family members.

Objectives and Significance

The Indian Air Force is an important part of India’s security organization. It has been working for the country ever since India was being exploited by the British rulers. It has carried out several important operations and has periodically protected India from enemies. In such a situation it becomes very necessary that we celebrate its foundation day with great pomp.

Through Air Force Day, we apprise the country and abroad about its achievements and also pay tribute to the brave heroes of the Indian Air Force and other defence services who have fought and died for their nation. The most important thing is that this event inspires us to respect the heroes of the country by uniting everyone beyond the discrimination of religion and region.

From our daily busy day, we rarely get a chance to think about the soldiers in our nation. By observing the Indian Air Force Day on the same day in the entire nation, we collectively focus on our saviours and pay some respect to them. It works as an inspiration for them to keep working for their country and making us feel pride for them.

Through watching the parade of Indian Air Force, we come to know about the ability of our defence organizations All the weapons and vehicles used in these parades like choppers and helicopters shows how equipped they are with modern tools and techniques.

Flag of the Indian Air Force

The Air Force flag is distinct from the symbol of the Air Force. It is blue in color with the first one quarter representing the national flag if India. There is a circle (circular shape) made up of the three colors of the national flag, namely saffron, white and green the middle part. This flag was adopted in 1951.

Some Major Operations of Indian Air Force

The President of India is the supreme commander (Commander-in-Chief) of the Indian Air Force. There are currently more than 1.5 lakh people working in it. The Air Marshal is the highest designation of the Indian Air Force (abbreviated as IAF). Here we are mentioning some of the important operations executed by the Indian Air Force.

  • Second World War (1939 -1945)
  • War with Pakistan (1947)
  • Operation Polo (1948)
  • Operation Vijay (1961)
  • War with Pakistan (1965)
  • War with Pakistan (Operation Trident) (1971)
  • Operation Meghna Heli Bridge (1971)
  • Operation Meghdoot (1984)
  • Operation Blue Star (1984)
  • Operation Pawan (1987)
  • Operation Trishul (1988)
  • Operation Checkmate (1988)
  • Kargil War (Operation Safed Sagar) (1999)
  • Tsunami Rescue (2004)
  • Kashmir Earthquake (2005)
  • Operation Black Tornado (2008)
  • Nargis Cyclone (2008)
  • Operation Rahat (2013)
  • Operation Maitri (2015)
  • India Pakistan Confrontation (2018)
  • Balakot Air Strike (2019)

Conclusion

There are a number of victories and achievements made by the Indian Air Force which is impossible to comprise in a single article. We all are blessed to be protected by the Indian Air Force though we never thank it for what it does for us. The Indian Air Force Day gives us a chance to express our gratitude towards the people associated with it who protest us from our enemies and give us a peaceful and fearless life. We all should be proud of them.