Indian Air Force turns 77

September 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 fighter crashed at Bathinda air base in Punjab Thursday, killing its pilot, an official said. The aircraft apparently lost power while taking off from Bathinda air base but the pilot could not eject in time, the official added.

September 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Air Marshal K.J. Mathews Wednesday took over as the new head of human resource of the Indian Air Force (IAF), an official said Wednesday.

July 13th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - An Indian Air Force training aircraft made an emergency landing in the fields of a Punjab village Monday following a technical snag in its engine, police said. The aircraft that flew from the Bathinda air force station, some 250 km from here, was on its trial round.

July 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Defence Minister A K Antony today said the government is planning to increase the number of Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft in Indian Air Force to 230 by 2015. Antony informed the Rajya Sabha that since 1996 the Air Force has procured 98 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets.

June 28th, 2009 JAMMU - Indian border guards Sunday said they shot dead a suspected intruder near the border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. According to a spokesman of the Border Security Force (BSF), the infiltrator tried to enter the Indian territory from Pargwal, about 35 km north of here.

June 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - An Indian Air Force contingent comprising 285 personnel, who will leave for Congo Saturday for a UN peacekeeping mission, were Thursday asked to maintain "highest standards of discipline, integrity and professionalism". The Indian peacekeepers have in the past been accused of gold smuggling and sexual abuses.

June 5th, 2009 AGARTALA - The Indian Air Force (IAF) will start a special recruitment drive in the northeastern region, which has less representation in the 77-year-old service, an IAF officer said here Friday. "On an average, 300 to 350 youths are being recruited every year in the Indian Air Force from the northeastern region, comprising eight states," said Wing Commander I.V.R.

May 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - After the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Pakistan moved 75 percent of its air force to the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan, a top commander of the Indian Air Force (IAF) said here Sunday. "Pakistan had mobilised 75 percent of its air force against us after 26/11.

May 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Pakistan wary of Indian Air Force's capability moved 75 percent of its air force to the Line of Control (LOC) between India and Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Air Marshal PK Barbora said this while handing over the command of the largest operational command of the Indian Air Force, which is the fourth largest Air Force in the world.

May 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Defence Minister A K Antony will dedicate the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) to the nation on Thursday. The first of the three Indian Air Force (IAF) AWACS platform landed on Indian soil escorted by the venerable Mig-29 and Jaguar fighters at the IAF's Jamnagar airbase, on Monday.

May 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Defence Minister A K Antony will dedicate the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) to the nation on Thursday. The first of the three Indian Air Force (IAF) AWACS platform landed on Indian soil escorted by the venerable Mig-29 and Jaguar fighters at the IAF's Jamnagar airbase, on Monday.

April 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bangladesh Air Force chief Air Marshal S.M. Ziaur Rehman arrived here Thursday on a five-day official visit to India.

April 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - A Business Boeing Jet (BBJ), patterned on the US president's office-in-the-sky Air Force One, was inducted into the Communications Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) by President Pratibha Patil Wednesday. Patil will be flying to Lilabari in the aircraft on her way to Arunachal Pradesh.

March 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - A.S. Gill, a 1972-batch of Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Rajasthan cadre, Saturday took over as the director general of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) following the retirement of his predecessor V.K.

February 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI/KOLKATA - India and Bangladesh continued their first joint military exercise in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district Thursday amid reports that the mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troopers, which saw the killing of at least 50 people, spread beyond Dhaka. 'The Indian Army, Air Force and Bangladesh Army have been participating in the exercise to test their battlefield tactics since Feb 22.