Indian Air Force Day 2020: Ram Nath Kovind, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh hail ‘formidable force to reckon with’

Rajnath Singh hailed the IAF as a 'formidable force to reckon with, while Amit Shah said that the force’s personnel have served the country with 'utmost courage'

FP Staff|Oct 08, 2020, 10:29:35 IST

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is observing its 88th anniversary on Thursday with a ceremonial parade and a flypast involving a variety of aircraft at the Hindon airbase. The IAF was established in 1932.A total of 56 aircraft, including 19 choppers and seven transport aircraft, will fly during the parade. The Tejas LCA, Jaguar, MiG-29, MiG-21 and Sukhoi-30 aircraft were part of the dress rehearsal on Wednesday, besides the newly inducted Rafale fighter jet, an IAF official told PTI.Ahead of the celebrations, the IAF shared their anthem on Twitter and also shared ‘Know the IAF’ posts explaining its aircraft, including the Rudra, MiG-21 and Chinook.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu took to Twitter to honour “air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force” for their contribution in “securing our skies and assisting civil authorities” in humanitarian relief.Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to the 'brave warriors' with a tweet in Hindi that read, "You not only keep the skies of the country safe but also play a leading role in the service of humanity in times of disaster." He also posted a short video, honouring the IAF personnel.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the IAF as a “formidable and lethal force to reckon with”, while Home Minister Amit Shah said that the force’s personnel have served the country with “utmost courage and determination”.

While BJP chief JP Nadda thanked the IAF for its “valour, courage and sacrifice”, Union minister Piyush Goyal congratulated the force for adding five Rafale jets to its Golden Arrows' Quiver.

Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb and Members of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Sadananda Gowda echoed the sentiment that the IAF continues to “touch the skies with glory”. Meanwhile, the French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain hailed India and France’s partnership from the Ouragan aircraft to the Mirage 2000s and now the Dassault Rafales.

J&K cop on Amarnath Yatra duty shot dead in Anantnag terror attack; TRF claims responsibility

The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack through a social media post

2 min read

Jaishankar meets Canada's Anita Anand, discusses bilateral cooperation and shared interests

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held talks on bilateral ties with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand, focusing on cooperation and common goals.

1 min read

Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad... Neet paper leak protest spreads nationwide even as govt reaches out to CJP, Opposition

Protests over the alleged NEET paper leak intensified across multiple cities, while the Centre signalled talks with the Opposition and the Cockroach Janta Party. The Delhi High Court also stepped in, seeking preservation of CCTV footage related to police action.

3 min read

Why is India seeing 95% cloud cover despite a Super El Niño?

India is witnessing nearly 95 per cent cloud cover despite a Super El Niño, a climate event usually linked to weaker monsoons. Regional weather systems, cyclonic circulations, the monsoon trough and moisture from two seas are temporarily overpowering one of the world's strongest climate phenomena

5 min read

Jaishankar, Rubio review trade, defence, AI cooperation at Manila meeting

Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reviewed key pillars of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including trade, defence, energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence, while also exchanging views on regional and global developments.