INDIAN AIR FORCE (A Dream for many)

Hello readers... 

The main purpose of this blog is that whenever I searched about Indian Air Force, I needed to surf through various links to know everything I wanted to know.. so this page is to spare you peeps from the hustle that I went through!

Now that you have landed here, let me tell you the contents of this blog in brief..

I'll be telling you everything about the Indian Air Force.. specially highlighting the role of women in Air Force... 

Keep reading..

Western Air Command (WAC)

Air Force day is celebrated on 8th October (just for that extra info.)

Some Facts about Indian Air Force

• Indian Air Force ranks as the fourth best operational air force in the world.

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited that was formed in 1948 is currently the largest defense firm in public sector.

• The Indian Air Force functions with the motto “Touching the Sky with Glory”.

• The Indian Government, in January 2002, granted the rank of Marshal of the Air Force to Arjan Singh, thus making him the first and the only Five-star officer with the Indian Air Force and ceremonial chief of the air force.

• Indian Air Force is categorized into five operational and two functional commands.

• In 2010, the Air Force Network (AFNET), a robust digital information grid that enabled quick and meticulous threat responses, was launched.

• The Indian Air Force has the strength of about 170,000 personnel and more than 1,400 aircraft and considered as one of the leading air forces of world.

• The Indian Air Force has been engaged in the four wars with the Pakistan and one with People’s Republic of China after its independence.

• The operations carried out by it are Operation Meghdoot, Operation Vijay – the invasion of Goa, Operation Cactus and Operation Poomalai.

• It has also been involved in the United Nations peacekeeping missions.

• The President of the country serves to the India Air Force as a Commander-in-Chief.

 7 Commands Of Indian Air Force:

The IAF currently has five operational commands, each of which is headed by an AOC-in-C (Air Officer Commander-in-Chief) with the rank of Air Marshal. The IAF also has two additional commands – Training Command and Maintenance Command – to maintain a uniform standard in training and maintenance. Air Headquarters is located at New Delhi is commanded by the Chief of Air Staff. AirHQ controls all the administrative functions of the IAF and exercises control over the Commands.

Western Air Command (WAC)

Western Command was raised as No.1 Operational Group on Independence 27 Sep 47. In 1949, It was IAF western commandre-designated as Operations Command. In 1962, with the raising of Central Air Command, Operations Command was renamed as Western Air Command. WAC is the most important of the five regional commands. It controls air operations north of Jaipur, including the capital and Punjab, from Kashmir south to Rajasthan. There is an Air Operations Group at the Udhampur AFB, formed in 1982, is dedicated to the defense of Jammu & Kashmir and also includes Ladakh. There is an advanced headquarters located near the Army’s Western Command at Chandigarh.

Western Air Command features several permanent airbases at Adampur, Ambala, Avantipur, Chandigarh, Halwara, Hindan, Leh, Palam, Srinagar and Pathankot with forward base support units (FBSUs) at Amritsar, Bhatinda, Sirsa and Udhampur. The WAC features air defence squadrons consisting of the MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29. The ground attack squadrons consists of the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27 and Jaguar IS.

Eastern Air Command (EAC)

EAC was first raised at Rani Kutir in Calcutta. Then it was shifted to Tezpur in 1963. By the end of 1963, the Eastern Command IAFHQ was shifted to Shillong (Meghalaya). EAC controls air operations in the eastern sector which includes West Bengal, Assam, Mizoram and the other eastern states bordering Bangladesh, Burma and Tibet. Eastern Air Command (EAC) features permanent airbases at Chabua, Gauhati, Bagdogra, Barrackpore, Hashmira, Jorhat, Kalaikunda and Tezpur with forward airbases at Agartala, Culcutta, Panagarh and Shillong. EAC features AD squadrons consisting of the MiG-21 and ground attack squadrons consisting of the MiG-27.

Central Air Command (CAC)

Initially raised at Rani Kutir, near Calcutta, CAC shifted its headquarters to Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) in Central Air Command (CAC) IAF1966. it controls air operations in all of central India, from Delhi to Bengal. This command was reduced in size with the establishment of the Southern Air Command.

The CAC features permanent airbases at Agra, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Gwalior, Nagpur and Kanpur. Central Air Command features air defence squadrons consisting of the Mirage 2000 and the MiG-21. It is the main transport command with aircraft like the IAF’s workhorse – the An-32, the long range heavy lift IL-76MD and the Dornier Do-228 which are used in the utility role. CAC also has helicopter squadrons like the Mi-8 Hip & Mi-17 Hip and the heavy lift, Mi-26 Halo

South Western Air Command (SWAC)

SWAC was converted from the No.1 Ops Group of WAC which was then located at Jodhpur. In May 1998, it South Western Air Command (SWAC) IAFmoved its HQ to Gandhinagar. It controls air operations in the south western air sector, which includes most of Rajasthan, and south through Gujarat to Saurashtra, and Kutch to Pune. Because SWAC has no sensitive adjacent areas, its task has been largely air defence, however, it is now reported to have a strike mission profile. South Western Air Command features permanent airbases at Bhuj, Jaisalmer, Nalia, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Barmer and Poona with forward airbases at Ahmedabad, Nal, Suratgarh and Uttarlai. The SWAC features air defence squadrons consisting of the MiG-21, MiG-29 and Su-30. The ground attack squadrons consist of the MiG-21 and the MiG-23. SWAC also has a maritime attack squadron, which consists of the Jaguar IM.

Southern Air Command (SAC)

Southern Air Command (SAC) IAFSouthern Air Command with its Headquarters at Trivandrum was born on 19 Jul 84 out of the changed geopolitical situation around Southern peninsula since early eighties Super Power rivalry in Indian ocean, attempts to destabilise the littoral states and continued ethnic problems in Sri Lanka compelled the defence planners to look afresh the Defence requirements of peninsular India in order to effectively defend the Island territories and protect our exclusive economic zones extending deep into the oceans. The need was felt to establish a full fledged Operational Air Command covering the geopolitical area of peninsular India extending to 18 deg N including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian sea. Accordingly, on 20 Jul 84, Smt lndira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of inaugurated of Headquarters Southern Air Command at Trivandrum at “Belhaven Palace”, an old palace of Maharaja of Travancore located in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city. Initially, the Command exercised control over 5 lodger units. In a short span of 15 years, the Command has grown and now has 17 lodger units under its jurisdiction.

Training Command (TC)

Training Command (TC) IAFTraining Command traces out its lineage from the No.2 Training Group which was set up immediately after Independence. Training Group was re-designated as Training Command in 1949. Although its headquarters is located at J C Nagar, Bangalore (Karnataka) most of the flying and ground training establishments are located in central and southern India.

Maintenance Command (MC)

MC was raised as Maintenance Group at Chakeri in Kanpur in 1950. in 1955, It was designated as Maintenance Command (MC) IAFMaintenance Command. Its current headquarters is located at Vayusena Nagar in Nagpur (Maharashtra).

Maintenance Command is one of the commands of IAF for maintenance, repair & overhaul, product support, storage & issue of spares for all variants of aircraft, airborne equipment and support equipment of IAF. This function is performed through various Base Repair Depots (BRDs and Equipment Depots (EDs).

MC has about Nine Base Repair Depots taking care of the overhaul and mainenance of various types of aircraft. The BRDs are augemented by Equipment Depots and Air Stores Parks.

For list of Active Indian air crafts click on the link

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Indian_military_aircraft

Now the most needed information is about the various modes of entry in Air Force and criteria for each of them..

There are three branches of IAF namely: Flying Branch, Ground Duty Technical Branch and Ground Duty Non-Technical Branch.

Different Ways To Join Indian Air Force As An Officer

1. NDA Entry:

This is the first opportunity which you get to join the Air Force. Though limited to flying branch, and exclusive to boys, this is an excellent opportunity which boys get after class 12th to join IAF. They spend three years in National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune, which is like a feeder institution for Air Force Academy, Dundigal. Candidates get a three-year common training at NDA, and are then shifted to AFA for basic Flying Training, prior to commissioning then they are allocated their aircraft type and given further training at the designated flying training school. The exam for this is conducted twice every year, by UPSC.

The advertisement for NDA is released twice a year in the months of June and December by UPSC.
Candidates are to apply as per the advertisement.
The written tests are conducted by UPSC only. For details visit www.upsc.gov.in
Exam type

Written exam followed by SSB for successful candidates.

Gender

Men

Format

Two papers consisting of General awareness, Mathematics and English

Educational Qualification

10+2 (with physics and mathematics). Final Years eligible

Age

16 ½ to  19 ½ years(at the time of commencement of course)

Notification date

May and December (Approx.)

Exam date

April and September (Approx.)

Commission type

Permanent commission

2. CDSE Entry:

Again an exclusive entry for men, after graduation and meant only for flying branch. CDSE is an exam conducted by UPSC, twice every year. The training is conducted in AFA, and then the candidate is moved to the specialized flying training establishment. This entry too is meant for all the three forces, just like NDA.

The advertisement for CDSE in the months of July and November by UPSC.
Candidates are to apply as per the advertisement.
The written tests are conducted by UPSC only. For details visit www.upsc.gov.in
Exam type

Written exam followed by SSB for successful candidates.

Gender

Men

Format

Three papers consisting of General awareness, English and Mathematics.

Educational Qualification

Graduate (Three Year Course) in any discipline from a recognized University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) / BE / B.Tech (Four Year Course). Final years eligible.

Age

20 to 24 years (at the time of commencement of course)

Notification date

June and October (Approx.)

Exam date

February and September (Approx.)

Commission type

Permanent commission

2. NCC Special Entry:

Once again an exclusive entry for men aiming for the flying branch. Training procedure almost same as CDSE. As an Air Wing Senior Division ’C’ Certificate holder of the National Cadet Corps, you can apply to the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force. Air Sqn NCC Senior division ‘C’ certificate holders are to apply online through NCC Special entry. The notification comes along with the AFCAT notification.

Exam type

Direct SSB call for Air Wing Senior Division ’C’ Certificate holder of the National Cadet Corps.

Gender

Men and Women

Format

SSB

Educational Qualification

Graduate (Three Year Course) in any discipline from a recognized University with minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together and have passed Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 levelORBE / B Tech (Four Year Course) from a recognized University with minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together.
 Final Year/semester students are also eligible to apply, provided they do not have any present backlogs at the time of SSB Testing and produce Degree certificate issued by the University as per the date stipulated in the advertisement.
NCC Air Wing Senior Division ’C’ certificate.

Age

20 to 24 years (at the time of commencement of course)

Notification date

NCC Cadets are to apply through respective NCC Air Squadrons/DG NCC

Commission type

Permanent commission


3. UES Entry (Discontinued):

University Entry Scheme is meant for engineering student of pre final year, for the technical branch of IAF. This is entry for men and the training is in AFA, followed by Air Force Technical College in Bangalore. The advertisement is released along with AFCAT.

Exam type

Written exam followed by SSB for successful candidates.

Gender

Men

Educational Qualification

The candidate must be currently studying in Pre-final year of BE / BTech degree course with choice of subject as mentioned in the advertisement. There must be No backlog / arrears of papers of previous semesters at the time of SSB Testing. On completion of degree, minimum 60% of marks in aggregate in all papers put together are mandatory.

Age

20 to 26 years (at the time of commencement of course)

Notification date

December (Approx.)

Commission type

Permanent commission

4. AFCAT Entry:

This is the biggest test conducted for inducting officer in IAF. This test inducts both men and women as officers in all the three branches of IAF, i.e. Flying, Technical and Ground Duty. AFCAT is conducted twice every year by the Air Force and includes an added test called EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) for Technical branch aspirants. The eligibility and training differ according to each branch. Since AFCAT 2 2017, the exam is conducted Online by the CDAC, earlier it was conducted offline by the Indian Air Force. Here are general details regarding this test.

AFCAT – AIR FORCE COMMON ADMISSION TEST
For all entries other than NDA and CDSE and for all branches, candidates have to undergo the AFCAT.
The test is conducted twice a year in February and August.
Advertisements inviting applications for AFCAT are out in June and December. Candidates are to apply as per the advertisement.
The test is conducted all across India by the Indian Air Force.
Exam type

Written exam followed by SSB for successful candidates.

Gender

Men and Women

Format

One paper consisting of General awareness, English, Mathematics and Military Aptitude. EKT for Technical branch

Qualification

The eligibility criteria with respect to age limit, educational qualifications etc. for AFCAT are spelled out in the advertisement published. Minimum qualification required is graduation.

Branches

Flying, Technical and Ground Duty.

Notification date

June and December (Approx.)

Exam date

February and August (Approx.)

Commission type

Permanent commission for men and Short Service Commission for men and women.

6. Meteorological Branch:

This is branch only for Post Graduate students. Permanent and short service commissions are given to men and women. The notification comes along with the AFCAT notification.

Exam type

Direct applications followed by SSB for chosen candidates.

Gender

Men and Women

Educational Qualification

Post Graduate Degree in any Science stream / Mathematics / Statistics / Geography / Computer Applications / Environmental Science / Applied Physics / Oceanography / Meteorology / Agricultural Meteorology / Ecology & Environment / Geo-physics / Environmental Biology with minimum of 50% marks in aggregate of all papers put together (Provided Maths and Physics were studied at Graduation Level, with a minimum of 55% marks in both).

Age

20 to 26 years (at the time of commencement of course)

Notification date

Keep checking the website for details

Commission type

Permanent commission for men and Short Service commission for men and women

7. Fast Track Mode (Discontinued):

Generally the selection procedure is spread for a duration of six months, however via Fast Track Selection it is ensured that it is completed within ten days’ time. This mode is mostly meant for Flying Branch and Meteorological Branch. There is no fixed time for advertisement schedule. You need to keep checking the website for such opportunity.

Exam type

Written exam followed by SSB for successful candidates.

Gender

Men and Women

Educational Qualification

Depends on the branch

Age

Depends on the branch

Notification date

Not fixed

Commission type

Permanent commission for men and Short Service commission for men and women

And now comes the part which I have searched for the most.. it's the IAF women pilot exams

IAF Women Pilot Exams: Eligibility Criteria

Minimum Educational Qualification:

Graduate with Physics and Maths at 10 + 2 level. Should not have failed in Pilot Aptitude Battery Test.

OR Senior Division Air Wing 'C' Certificate.

OR BE (four years)



Age Limit:

19 to 23 years. 25 years for those having Commercial Pilot License. Unmarried, Widows (Without any child) of service personnel killed on duty can also apply.


Physical Eligibility:

Medically fit for Flying Branch.
Minimum Height 162.5cm.
Leg length between 99 and 129 cm.
Should not be colour/night blind or wearing glasses.
Should not have failed in Pilot Aptitude Battery Test.
Candidates holding Senior Division Air Wing ‘C’ Certificate are to apply through respective Air Squadron. Clause of Physics and Maths at 10 +2 level is not applicable for them.

Pattern

Only short-listed candidates will be called for SSB Test. The potential to be an officer will be tested through Psychological Test, Group Test and Interview spread over 5-6 days at one of the Air Force Selection Boards located at Dehradun, Mysore and Varanasi. Medical Examination will be conducted, Bangalore. Those selected will undergo training of 72 weeks.

Tentative Dates

Women Pilot exam is generally held in the month of January and July.

Application Form

Candidates should apply in the prescribed format and to the address as mentioned in the advertisement issued by the recruiting authority. Candidates holding Senior Division Air Wing 'C' Certificate are to apply through respective Air Squadron or candidate can post their application to Headquarters SSC (W) F (P), Post Bag No.001, DHQ Post Office, New Delhi-110001 by the specified date.



The candidate can also visit the Indian Air force website https://www.careerairforce.nic.in

Centers

Test Centres for Educational Instructors Exam

Bhubaneswar, Kanpur. New Delhi, Ambala, Kochi
Guwahati, Secunderabad, Patna, Mumbai, Bangalore
Kochi, Barrackpore, Jodhpur, Dehradun, Mysore

Contact Details

Indian Air force

Air Headquarters, Vayu Bhawan,

New Delhi - 110 011

Tel.: 23012579

Fax: 23018981

Website: www.careerairforce.nic.in

For information about the salaries in IAF please visit: 

https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salary/Indian-Air-Force-Salaries-E390807.htm

Hope I have jotted all important topics in this article.

If not, tell me what more you want to know.. I'll be glad to know more facts also so please comment below if there's something that everyone should be knowing!!!

It's time to leave.. I'll be sharing more articles soon

Till then.. stay happy and "Touch the Sky with Glory"