We at SP Guide Publications felicitate the IAF on its 81st anniversary and regard it as a pride and privilege to dedicate this special issue of SP’s Aviation to this wonderful organisation. The IAF of the future would be called upon to shoulder responsibilities that would be much greater than what it has done in the past.

As the Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrates its 81st anniversary, it is time to look back with pride on its glorious history of the last more than eight decades during which it has grown from a fledgling service equipped with a few vintage flying machines to now the fourth largest and a modern air force in the world, capable of shouldering the responsibilities that the nation bestows upon it. We at SP Guide Publications felicitate the IAF on this occasion and regard it as a matter of pride and privilege to dedicate this special issue of SP’s Aviation to this wonderful organisation.

During the last five years, the IAF has been under a comprehensive modernisation programme that aims at a complete transformation of this fighting force and elevation of its strategic and tactical operational capabilities to a completely new level. The nation has already emerged as a regional power and has the aspirations of achieving the status of a global power in the years to come. As a result, the security interests of the nation transcend the national boundaries and extend from the Gulf of Oman to the Strait of Malacca. The IAF of the future will have to confront new challenges and would be called upon to shoulder responsibilities that would be much greater than what it has done in the past. In an exclusive interview with SP’s Aviation, the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne said that reach, responsiveness and mobility of air power gives IAF the unique capability to quickly respond to emerging threats.

The IAF has been driving for new capabilities in all its segments including the combat fleet, strategic and tactical airlift or the rotary-wing regime. It has added a range of force multipliers such as the airborne warning and control systems based on the IL-76 platform, the airborne early warning and control system based on the Embraer 145 aircraft, in-flight refuelling capabilities with the IL-78, unmanned aerial vehicles, radars and aerostats. There is also a plan in place for the modernisation of airfield infrastructure that in effect will serve as a force multiplier. But perhaps the most unique feature of the ongoing exercise in transformation is the enhanced focus on human resource development, an aspect that had not received adequate attention in the past. Being a service that is required to deal with the most advanced and cuttingedge technologies, the quality of human resource assumes critical importance. Finally, it is the man or woman behind the machine that makes the difference. This philosophy has been clearly well understood by the present leadership as highlighted by Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra in an article appropriately titled as “People First Mission Always”. Incidentally, till very recently, the author was himself tasked with implementing this critical component in the process of transformation.

While the IAF is undoubtedly flying high on several fronts, one issue that is of growing concern not only for the service but for the nation as well is the urgent need to enhance the operational potential of the combat fleet of the IAF. It is indeed a matter of serious concern as also somewhat enigmatic that such a critical need of national security is not being addressed with the urgency it warrants. The interminable delay in the conclusion of the contract for six squadrons of medium multi-role combat aircraft, the Rafale offered by the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, ought to be a matter of serious concern as it directly impinges on national security and serves to dilute efforts of the IAF at transformation.

Apart from the regular features, this issue deals with a number of facets of the IAF as also of the global aerospace industry, military and civil aviation. Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev in his article writes how regional aviation has been a victim of government apathy. In another article on trends in business aviation, R. Chandrakanth reviews how there has been a considerable advancement in business jet technologies. He also says the 65th NBAA convention 2013 is going to be big and is the can’t-miss business aviation event. Welcome aboard and happy landings!

Jai Hind!