{"id":69586,"date":"2019-10-26T15:28:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-26T09:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/?p=69586"},"modified":"2020-10-26T15:55:01","modified_gmt":"2020-10-26T10:25:01","slug":"air-force-day-wing-cdr-abhinandan-leads-mig21-bison-formation-with-heroes-of-balakot-airstrike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/india-news\/air-force-day-wing-cdr-abhinandan-leads-mig21-bison-formation-with-heroes-of-balakot-airstrike\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force Day: Wing Cdr Abhinandan leads Mig21 Bison formation with heroes of Balakot airstrike"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The 87th<\/sup> birth anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF) today \u2013 Tuesday, Oct 8 \u2013 will see induction of its newest multirole fighter jet Rafale at a handover ceremony in Merignac in France, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is in France, taking delivery of the first Rafale made by French firm Dassault Aviation.<\/p>\n Back here in India, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria attended a grand flypast by the IAF’s transport planes, helicopters and fighter jets at Hindon Air Force Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, near Delhi. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat attended the event in Hindon.<\/p>\n The IAF posted a promo video on Twitter and Facebook, with a brief depiction of Balakot airstrike and the air combat the following day.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman led a formation of the MiG-21 Bison, with heroes of Balakot airstrike, flying in an ‘Avengers’ formation. Wing Commander Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 in February. His aircraft also was downed by enemy fire.<\/p>\n Invoking the Balakot airstrike, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said it was the duty of the air warriors to remain combat-worthy and alert at all times amid the \u201cpresent security environment in the neighbourhood.\u201d<\/p>\n Addressing IAF personnel and their families on the 87th birth anniversary of the Air Force, he said, \u201cAll Air Warriors should serve with great integrity at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe IAF achieved a whole lot in the last year and showed its capabilities to carry out special operations. We carried out the Balakot airstrike successfully this year. We aim to further raise our operational preparedness. Apart from combat skills, the IAF has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian aid and in search and rescue operations,\u201d the Air Chief Marshal said.<\/p>\n Two squadrons of the IAF – 51 Squadron and 9 Squadron – which played a role in the air strike in Pakistan’s Balakot in February, were decorated with citations.<\/p>\n \u201cForty indigenous projects have already been incorporated by the IAF and another 122 projects are under development. The advanced fifth generation aircraft to be made indigenously in India has already been launched,\u201d the Air Chief Marshal said.<\/p>\n