Indian Air Force Archives - National Times

01 Jun

New Commander Takes Charge of Southern Air Command

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaAir Marshal Manish Khanna, Indian Air Force, Southern Air Command

National Times Bureau, June 1, 2025: Air Marshal Manish Khanna has officially taken over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Southern Air Command (SAC), Indian Air Force, headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. The command handover took place on June 1, 2025, marking a significant leadership transition in one of India's key air defence formations. He succeeds Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan, who has now assumed the role of AOC-in-C of the Central Air Command.Commissioned into the fighter stream on December 6, 1986, Air Marshal Khanna brings nearly four decades of experience to his new post. A Category 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor,…

13 May

PM Modi at Adampur Airbase: “Pakistan’s Audacity Was Destroyed”

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaAdampur Airbase, Bharat Mata ki Jai, Indian Air Force, PM Modi

Adampur, May 13 — In a powerful and emotionally charged address at the Adampur Air Force Station in Punjab, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that Pakistan’s audacity—not just its terror camps—had been destroyed, praising the Indian Air Force’s decisive action and resilience amid recent hostilities.“Bharat Mata ki Jai is not just a slogan; it is a sacred oath. It echoes in the skies when our missiles and drones strike,” Modi told the air warriors, asserting the strength and determination of India’s armed forces.Referring to Operation Sindoor, the Prime Minister stated that India hit back with unmatched force, dismantling terror infrastructure…

07 May

Masood Azhar’s Family Killed in Indian Airstrike During ‘Operation Sindoor’; 14 Eliminated Including Brother and Son

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, World NewsIndian Air Force, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Masood Azhar, Operation Sindoor

National Times Bureau, May 7, 2025: In a major blow to Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, 14 members of its chief Masood Azhar’s family were reportedly killed in a precision Indian airstrike under Operation Sindoor. The air raid targeted the group’s main base in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, early on May 7, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.Among the dead are Masood Azhar’s wife, son, brother Rauf Azhar (a key conspirator in the 1999 IC-814 hijacking), sister, nieces, nephews, and other close aides. The Indian Air Force struck the Markaz Subhan Allah complex — the main operational hub for Jaish-e-Mohammed…

07 May

Indian Air Force takes complete control of Chandigarh Airport, all flights cancelled

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabChandigarh Airport, Indian Air Force

Chandigarh: Following India's 'Operation Sindoor' targeting terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack, the Indian Air Force took complete control of Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport early on Wednesday morning. All 52 domestic and international flights have been cancelled until further notice. The airport caters to several major routes, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Leh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Patna, Pune, and Srinagar. It offers only two international flights—to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Passengers who arrived at the airport on Wednesday morning were stopped at barricades and turned back.…

07 May

India Strikes Nine Terror Camps in ‘Operation Sindoor’ After Pahalgam Attack

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaBahawalpur, cross-border strike, Indian Air Force, Muridke, Operation Sindoor, terror camps

New Delhi, May 7 — In a bold military response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam last month, India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror camps deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The Indian Air Force carried out precision airstrikes around 2:00 AM, focusing exclusively on militant infrastructure.Defense officials described the operation as “precise and proportionate,” emphasizing that no civilian or military infrastructure was targeted. The strikes were intended to dismantle critical support systems of terror groups operating across the border.The nine locations hit in the operation were:1. Bahawalpur – 100 km…

06 May

Indian Air Force Begins Two-Day War Game Near Pakistan Border Amid Rising Tensions

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaIndian Air Force, Pahalgam attack, Pakistan border, War Game

New Delhi, May 6: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched a high-intensity two-day war game along the Pakistan border, just weeks after the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. The exercise, starting Wednesday, will involve the IAF’s top combat aircraft, including Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage 2000, and the indigenous Tejas, alongside AWACS surveillance planes.The air drills aim to simulate real-time enemy engagement, with fighter jets conducting both offensive and defensive maneuvers targeting simulated ground and aerial threats. A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) has already been issued for the region, covering large sections of airspace along the western…

07 Mar

IAF Jaguar Fighter Jet Crashes Near Ambala, Pilot Ejects Safely

Balwinder Singh0 CommentsIndiaAmbala plane crash, IAF Jaguar crash, Indian Air Force

Ambala, March 7, 2025: An Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar fighter aircraft crashed near Ambala, Haryana, during a routine training sortie on Friday afternoon. The pilot managed to eject safely, and no casualties or damage to civilian property have been reported.The aircraft, which took off from the Ambala airbase, reportedly developed a technical snag mid-flight. It went down near the Morni Hills area in Panchkula district around 3:45 PM IST. Eyewitnesses saw the pilot eject moments before the aircraft crashed. Local authorities and IAF officials quickly reached the site to assess the situation. https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1897978332836180111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1897978332836180111%7Ctwgr%5Ef7659ab99e25c5636d03b7acbe8363c0dd73a4b4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-33584503691778829698.ampproject.net%2F2502032353000%2Fframe.html The Indian Air Force has ordered…