The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Air forceThe President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of the Air Force Staff (CAS). Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts.
Since 1950, the IAF has been involved in 5 wars but also participates regularly in United Nations peace keeping missions.
The Indian Air Force has around 170,000 personnel and around 1700 aircraft making it the 4th largest air force in the world in terms of aircraft. The motto of the Indian Air Force is nabhah sprsham diptam ('touch the sky with glory').The motto has been taken from the Sacred Bhagavad Gita,Chapter 11,Verse 24.
↑(Iiss), The International Institute of Strategic Studies (25 February 2021). The Military Balance 2021. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, 10,000 civilian personnel Incorporated. ISBN978-1-032-01227-8.