What Is the Full Form of IAF in Army?

The Full Form of ‘IAF’ in Army is ‘Indian Air Force’.

Full Form of IAF

The Indian Air Force (IAF), is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. It is the world’s fourth largest air force in terms of both personnel and aircraft. The IAF has its origins in the Royal Indian Air Force which was founded in 1932 and became an integral part of the British Empire’s war effort during World War II. After independence, India established its own air force in 1950 and since then it has played a major role in defending India’s airspace from both external and internal threats.

The IAF’s primary mission is to defend India’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests against all forms of aerial aggression by hostile forces. In addition, it is also responsible for conducting operations such as search and rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, UN peacekeeping missions, maritime reconnaissance and border surveillance. The IAF also plays an important role in training Indian pilots to fly transport planes, helicopters and fighter jets.

The IAF is organized into seven operational commands located across India based on geographical regions with each command headed by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C). Each command has several bases which are further divided into squadrons commanded by an Air Commodore or Group Captain. The squadrons are made up of different types of aircraft such as fighter jets, transport planes, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) etc., for specific tasks such as reconnaissance, close air support (CAS) or strike missions etc., depending on their individual capabilities.

The IAF operates over 1,600 aircraft including fighters like Sukhoi Su-30MKI MIG 29K/MIG 29UPG Mirage 2000H/TH and Jaguar IS/IB; transport aircraft like IL 76MD/TD C-130J Hercules Avro HS 748M; attack helicopters like MI 25/MI 35; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like Heron Searcher II; trainers like Pilatus PC7 MK II Hawk AJT; helicopters like ALH Dhruv Chetak Cheetah Cheetal MI 17V5; strategic lift aircraft like IL 78MKI C17 Globemaster III; airborne early warning & control system (AWACS) aircraft like AEW&C Netra Embraer 145LR Phalcon AWACS etc. All these aircraft are supported by a vast network of ground infrastructure such as airfields hangars maintenance facilities supply depots fuel storage tanks weapons storage facilities radar stations communication centers etc., making it one of the most advanced air power systems in Asia.

In recent years the IAF has been modernizing its equipment to keep up with changing times including procurement of new advanced fighters like Rafale Dassault Mirage 2000 5R/2000 9R F 16 Block 70 MMRCA Tejas Mk 1A Su 30 SMK MiG 29 UPG MiG 21 Bison Su 25 Frogfoot etc.; transport planes like C 17 Globemaster III Boeing 747 400ERF Airbus 330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT); AWACS systems FALCON EYE AEW&C ROHINI ELTA 2032 ELM 2052B; attack helicopters AH 64E Apache Chinook CH 47F MI 26T2 Kamov 28 Ka 32 etc.; UAVs Heron Searcher II Harop Barak 8 LR SAM Spyder MR SAM Astra LRSAM HT UCAV Nag ATGM Missile System Astra BVRAAM Spice 250 Spice 2000 Helina Nirbhay BrahMos NG ATGM Advanced Light Helicopter Rudra HAL Rudra LCH HAL Light Combat Helicopter etc..

In conclusion we can say that the full form of ‘IAF’ is Indian Air Force which is a highly capable force which maintains a technologically superior edge over its adversaries through modernization initiatives and constantly exercising its pilots for better operational readiness. It has been instrumental in protecting India’s borders from both external aggression and internal threats ensuring peace and stability within the region.

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