Indian Air Force celebrates 86th Anniversary today with stunning show at Hindon air base

The Indian Air Force is celebrating its 86th Anniversary on Monday. 

Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was among the first ones to greet the force. The minister took to Twitter and with a Sanskrit verse, she hailed the valour of the Indian Air Force. 

‘Greetings on #AirForceDay . नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम् (Touch the Sky with Glory). Wishing @IAF_MCC , Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal BS Dhanoa, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VM, ADC and all officers and air warriors on this day. You are inheritors of a great history and you do us proud,’ Sitharaman tweeted. 

Greetings on #AirForceDay .
(Touch the Sky with Glory).
Wishing @IAF_MCC , Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal BS Dhanoa, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VM, ADC and all officers and air warriors on this day. You are inheritors of a great history and you do us proud.

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) October 8, 2018

In the last eight decades, the Indian Air Force has technologically evolved and grown in strength to thwart any threat to the nation. 

It is committed to safeguard the Indian skies and has played a key role in providing assistance to the people of the country during any natural calamity. Professionalism displayed by air-warriors during various international exercises reaffirms IAF’s ability to be an effective net security provider. On this day, all men and women of IAF pay rich tribute to the untiring efforts and supreme sacrifice made by veterans, who laid a strong foundation for the service.

To mark the occasion and in keeping up with the tradition, IAF will host a grand Parade cum Investiture Ceremony at Air Force Station Hindan (Ghaziabad). Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Chief of the Air Staff will review the parade. Various dignitaries and veterans will participate in the celebrations. The parade will be followed by a breath taking display by the Air Warrior Drill Team, wherein the team will showcase their weapon handling skills and carry out diverse manoeuvers with their rifles. This will be followed by a scintillating air display by wide range of IAF aircraft including our cherished Vintage flight.

The scintillating air display 

The air display will commence with flag bearing sky divers of famous Akash Ganga Team, who will jump from an An-32 aircraft. Flypast will comprise of Mi-17 V5 and Rudra helicopters, Dornier, C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft, Jaguar, Bison, MiG-29, Mirage-2000 and SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft.  Dakota, Tiger Moth and Harvard of the IAF Vintage flight will also participate in the flypast.  Post flypast, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will carry out aerobatic display in front of the audience.  The Ambassadors of Indian Air Force, Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT), comprising on nine Hawk 132 aircraft and the Helicopter aerobatics team, Sarang will enthrall the audience with breath taking formation aerobatics display.  After the parade, all visitors will also get an opportunity to witness static display of aircraft, weapon, radar and missiles systems of the Indian Air Force.