Indian Air Force Day 2026 (8 October)

07-10-2026 · English

Topics: Important Days · 7 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

The Indian Air Force marks its 94th anniversary on 8 Oct 2026. Theme: 'Indian Air Force – Infallible, Impervious and Precise'. The main parade and investiture are at Hindon Air Force Station near Ghaziabad (UP), reviewed by Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh; the multinational air exercise 'Tarang Shakti 2026' is also under way at Jodhpur.

Key facts

Background

• History: set up on 8 Oct 1932 under the Indian Air Force Act 1932 as an auxiliary of the Royal Air Force; the first squadron (No. 1) formed on 1 Apr 1933 at Drigh Road, Karachi, with four Westland Wapiti aircraft.
• For its World War II service it became the 'Royal Indian Air Force' in 1945; the prefix was dropped when India became a Republic in 1950.
• First Indian chief: Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee (1 Apr 1954) – 'Father of the Indian Air Force'. Arjan Singh is the only 5-star Marshal.
• Display teams: Suryakiran (1996, now Hawk Mk132 jets) and Sarang (ALH Dhruv helicopters). The motto 'Nabhah Sprisham Deeptam' means 'Touch the sky with glory'.
• Key operations: the 1971 Bangladesh war, 'Meghdoot' (Siachen, 1984), 'Safed Sagar' (Kargil, 1999), Balakot (2019) and 'Sindoor' (2025).

Tamil Nadu link: Sulur air base near Coimbatore hosts the first Tejas squadron, No. 45 'Flying Daggers' (raised 2016; at Sulur since 2018), and No. 18 'Flying Bullets' (2020); Tambaram has the Flying Instructors' School; Thanjavur has Su-30MKIs.

Source: WION, Vajiram & Ravi, Oct 2026

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