Indian Air Force Day: What is weapon systems branch?

For the first time since Independence, the Central government has approved the creation of a weapon systems branch in the Indian Air Force. Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, while addressing a gathering on the 90th Air Force Day, announced the Central government's move. He said the creation of the branch would save Rs 3,400 crore due to the reduced expenditure on flying training. 

The officer also talked about the synergy among all three services and said no service alone can win the war. 

He also unveiled the new uniform of the Indian Air Force. 

What is a weapon systems branch?

The Indian Air Force currently has three branches -- a flying branch, a technical branch and a ground duties branch. This is the fourth branch. This new branch will operate weapon systems like surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, drones and weapon system operators in twin or multi-crew aircraft. Four sub-streams have been created -- flying, remote, intelligence and surface. 

The flying stream will handle twin-seat and multi-crew aircraft system operators. The remote-stream branch will handle drones and aircraft sans pilots. The intelligence sub-stream will analyze information, intelligence, and other allied fields. The surface stream will handle the missiles and similar weapon systems. 

The massive changes are brought about amid the changing roles of the air forces across the country. Strategic experts say soon enemy India might face would be invisible, hence, the Indian Air Force must adapt to the changes. 

What do the current branches do?

The flying branch trains the pilots for fighter aircraft, helicopters and transport pilots. This has three streams -- fighters, transport, and helicopters. The technical branch manages the aircraft and other equipment; it has two streams -- mechanical and electronics. The ground duty branch handles human resources and other fields; its five streams are administration, accounts, logistics, education, and weather service.