2. The Indian Air Force (IAF; IAST: Bhāratīya Vāyu
Senā) is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. It is the
world's fourth largest air force. Its primary
responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to
conduct aerial warfare during a conflict
4. The President of India serves as Supreme Commander
of the IAF. The Chief of Air Staff, an Air Chief
Marshal, is a four-star officer and commands the Air
Force. There is never more than one serving ACM at
any given time in the IAF.
5. Mission
The IAF's mission is defined by the Armed Forces Act of
1947, Constitution of India and the Air Force Act of 1950,[10] in
the aerial battlespace, as:
Defence of India and every part there of including preparation for
defence and all such acts as may be conducive in times of war to
its prosecution and after its termination to effective
demobilisation.
Thus, the IAF has the primary objective of safeguarding Indian
territory and national interests from all threats in conjunction with
the other branches of the armed forces by defending Indian
airspace. The IAF provides close air support to the Indian Army
troops in the battlefield and also provides strategic and tactical
airlift capabilities. IAF also provides infantry and artillery
transportations or secondary Airlift for the Indian Army . The IAF
also operates the Integrated Space Cell together with the other
two branches of the Indian Armed Forces, the
civilian Department of Space and the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) to utilise more effectively the country's
space-based assets for military purposes and to look into threats
to these assets
7. Operational Commands
Central Air Command (CAC), headquartered
at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
Eastern Air Command (EAC), headquartered at Shillong,
Meghalaya
Southern Air Command (SAC), headquartered
at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
South Western Air Command (SWAC), headquartered
at Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Western Air Command (WAC), headquartered at New
Delhi
Functional CommandsTraining Command (TC),
headquartered at Bangalore, Karnataka
Maintenance Command (MC), headquartered at Nagpur,
Mahara