Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force was established upon passage of the Indian Air Force Act, on October 8, 1932. The first squadron was commissioned on April 1, 1933, with five fighter pilots (H.C. Sircar, Subroto Mukerjee, Bhupendra Singh, A.B. Awan, Amarjeet Singh), one RAF commanding officer, and four Westland Wapiti Biplanes. The prefix "Royal" was granted in 1945, in recognition of the IAF's service during World War II; the prefix was dropped after India became a republic in 1950.
During World War II, the IAF played a pivotal role in thwarting the advance of the Japanese in Burma. It also carried out crucial strike missions against Japanese air bases in northern Thailand.
Women were first allowed into non-combat and non-technical positions in 1991. The first women cadets entered the Indian Air Force Academy in 1992, and by 1994 there were 55 women officers in the IAF.
As of 2006, the Indian Air Force had about 170,000 personnel and 1,350 combat aircraft, making it the fourth largest air force in the world. Headquartered in New Delhi, the IAF is headed by the Chief of Air Staff.
The official website of the Indian Air Force is www.indianairforce.nic.in.
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