IAF was officially established on 08 Oct 1932

First aircraft flight came into being 01 Apr 1933

‘B’ Flight formed on vintage Wapiti April 1936

‘C’ Flight raised, forming No: 1 Sqn at Peshawar

Chatfield Committee approved raising of 5 flights - Coastal Defence Flights (CDF)

March 1941- Wapitis from No:1 and 3 CDF Flights were requisitioned to equip No: 2 sqn being raised at Peshawar.

August 1941 -  No:1 Sqn began conversion to Westland Lysanders

September 1941 - No:2 Sqn converted from Wapiti to Audax

February - No: 1 Sqn arrived at Burma with Lysanders. Flew tactical recce missions and low-level unescorted missions against the principal Japanese air bases

16 Feb 1942 - No: 4 Sqn was formed with 4 Lysanders

June 1942 No:1 Sqn flown back from Burma. At Risalpur, began conversion to Hurricane IIB

Jan-Feb 1942 - Raising of No:6 Sqn with Hurricanes
September 1942 - No: 2 Sqn converted to Hurricanes

No:1 Flying School established in Ambala to provide basic and advanced training for IAF pilots

February 1943 – No: 7 Sqn was raised fusing No: 6 and No:3 Flts, equipped with Vengeance

June 1943 - No:4 Sqn converted to Hurricanes

25 June 1943 – No:8 Sqn raised by fusing the remaining CDFs

12 March 1944 - No:7 Sqn started operating from Kumbigram

No: 9 & 10 Sqns were raised

November 1941 No:7 Sqn converted to Hurricane IIs

3 Jan 1945 No:8 Sqn was the first to get converted into Spitfire VIII

March 1945 Awarded 22 Distinguished Flying Crosses and the title ‘Royal’ - RIAF

No:4 Sqn & No:9 Sqn converted to Spitfires
By the end of this year, Hurricanes were phased out

First Transport Sqn- No:12 Sqn with C-47 Dakotas in Panagarh

No:1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 Sqn were equipped with Tempest II

15 Aug 1947- RIAF during partition had Nos. 3,4,7,8 and 10 Squadrons with Tempest, No. 2 Squadron with Spitfires and No. 12 Squadron with C-47s

No. 1 Air Observation Flight, the establishment of which with AOP Auster 4s, 5s, and 6s, coincided with independence

27 Oct 1947 – airlifting of Sikhs from Palam to Srinagar

30 Oct 1947 - Spitfires from Advance Flying School Ambala reached Srinagar

26 Jan 1950 Republic Day
Dropped ‘Royal’ prefix

Raising of 14 Sqn with Spitfires Mk XVIII, the last piston engine fighter combat unit

Raising of second Transport Sqn No:11 Sqn with C-47 Dakotas

Vampire NF Mk.54 two seat night fighters obtained for 10 Sqn at Palam, thus endowing night intercept capability upon IAF for the first time

Vampire NF Mk.54 two seat night fighters obtained for 10 Sqn at Palam, thus endowing night intercept capability upon IAF for the first time

Enhancement of logistic support capability with the procurement of Fairchild C-119G. Allotted to 12Sqn

Raising of 29 & 47 Sqn with the Toofani

Re-equipment of 1,3 and 8 Sqn with Mystere IVA No 1 Sqn redesignated as No 27 Sqn

No. 5 Squadron re-equipped with the Canberra B(l) Mk. 58

No. 7 Squadron began conversion to the Hunter FMk.56.

No16 and 35 Sqn - equipped with Canberra B(l) Mk. 58s

No. 106 Sqn - equipped with Canberra PR Mk

No.7, 14, 17, 20, 27 and 37 Sqn - equipped with the Hunter

IAF's transport force grew to six squadrons, three with C-47s, two with C-119Gs and one with DHC-3 Otters

IAF inducted Gnat Lightweight fighter No 23, 2 and 9 Sqn converted into Gnats

IAF extended support to the United Nations operations at Congo

A step forward towards increased airlift capability with the induction of Soviet transports and helicopters.

Conflict with China

August 1962 - Epoch making decision to purchase 12 MiG-21 fighters from the Soviet Union - the IAF's first combat aircraft of non-western origin.

1 September 1965 - a massive attack in the Chhamb sector by Pakistani forces

Sukhoi Su-7BM delivered from Soviet Union

January 1971 Air Force Academy Dundigal was inaugurated

November 1971 Conflict with Pakistan

Extensive upgradation and modernisation

Air Operations in Kargil

OPS SAFED SAGAR

OPS 1971

OPS 1965

OPS 1962

Marshal of the Air Force

Wg Cdr KK ‘Jumbo’ Majumdar DFC

Air Cmde Mehar Singh

Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee

AVM Harjinder Singh

Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif

Air Chief Marshal Katre