Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated IAF on Air Force Day which was celebrated with a ceremonial parade and a spectacular display of air power at Chennai.

Taking to his official handle on X, Mr Modi wrote, “Air Force Day greetings to our brave air warriors. Our Air Force is admired for their courage and professionalism. Their role in protecting our nation is extremely commendable.”

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in his message, said the IAF is synonymous with courage, valour and professionalism. ”Greetings to all courageous Air Warriors and their families on the Indian Air Force (IAF) Day. The IAF is synonymous with courage, valour and professionalism. They have always kept our skies safe and are widely admired for their service during times of crisis. India is proud of its air warriors. @IAF_MCC,” he wrote on X.

An immaculate ceremonial parade, a breath-taking demonstration of air power and a spectacular static display of state-of-the-art equipment marked the celebrations of the 92nd anniversary of the IAF at the Air Force Station, Tambaram in Chennai.

Chief of Defence Staff General, Anil Chauhan graced the celebrations, while the ceremonial parade was reviewed by Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.

In his address, the air chief underscored the need for IAF to remain prepared to meet any contingency that challenges the national interests.

He stated that the current global security environment is in a state of constant flux and ongoing conflicts have demonstrated an inescapable need to have a strong and capable Air Force. Adopting the latest technology along with innovative and out-of-the-box thinking will play a decisive role in today’s multi-domain environment, he added.

He emphasised that the theme of Air Force Day 2024, ‘Bhartiya Vayu Sena: Saksham, Sashakt, Aatmanirbhar’ perfectly describes the aspirations of IAF.

“Over the years, we have become more empowered with better technology and achieved new levels op-exploitation of systems & weapons. Aatmanirbharta in the field of defence R&D and manufacturing is our priority. Concrete steps have been taken to support Make in India initiatives by engaging MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, professionals, R&D institutes and academia,” he added.

The Chief of Air Staff described the Air Force Day as an occasion for the air warriors to rededicate themselves in the service of the nation, introspect on the previous year, celebrate the achievements, recognise the areas of improvement and realign to the present & future requirements.

On the previous year’s achievements, he said that IAF has proved its mettle on various fronts. “One of our primary objectives is to deliver weapons, on target, on time, every time and this capability was aptly showcased during the firepower demonstration exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ at Pokhran Range in February 2024,” he said.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh added that the IAF, this year, expanded its participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises with friendly countries. He stated that the successful conduct of the largest multinational exercise on Indian soil ‘Tarang Shakti’ was a testimony to the competence and professionalism of India’s air warriors.

The Chief of Air Staff asserted that IAF has always been the first responders in calls of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief both within the country & abroad, highlighting the various ops conducted in the last one year. He reaffirmed IAF’s full commitment towards providing a conducive and working environment to the air warriors, terming the welfare and well-being of the personnel & their families as of utmost importance.