Indian Air ForceClass 9 Defence Studies Chapter 6 Notes – Maharashtra Board

Summary: Indian Air Force

The Royal Indian Air Force was set up in British India in 1932. After independence in 1947 it was renamed the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The IAF has seven commands: five operational commands (Central – Allahabad, Eastern – Shillong, Western – New Delhi, South-Western – Gandhinagar, Southern – Thiruvananthapuram), a Maintenance Command at Nagpur and a Training Command at Bengaluru.

Its roles are to defend India's air space, support the Army and Navy in war, protect national interests beyond the borders when needed, and carry out rescue and relief in natural disasters.

Its fighters, as listed in the book, include the Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29, Jaguar and the home-made Tejas (inducted 2016). Transport aircraft include the C-130J, C-17, AN-32 and IL-76.

Its helicopters include the Mi-26 heavy-lift, Mi-25/Mi-35 attack, Mi-17 V-5, Chetak, Cheetah, and the Indian-made Dhruv and Rudra. The IAF also has many types of missiles.

Key points to remember

• Royal Indian Air Force formed in 1932; renamed Indian Air Force after 1947
• Seven commands: five operational, one maintenance, one training
• Western Air Command – New Delhi; Eastern – Shillong; Central – Allahabad (Prayagraj)
• South-Western – Gandhinagar; Southern – Thiruvananthapuram
• Maintenance Command – Nagpur; Training Command – Bengaluru
• Roles: defend air space; support Army and Navy; protect interests abroad; disaster relief
• Su-30 MKI: twin-seat, twin-engine Russian fighter made in India
• Tejas: indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, inducted 2016
• C-17 carries 40–70 tons over 4,200–9,000 km in one hop (as the book says)
• Dhruv and Rudra: Indian-made helicopters for mountain areas

Indian Air Force – Notes

1. History and roles

• The Air Force began in British India in 1932 as the Royal Indian Air Force.
• After India became independent in 1947, it was renamed the Indian Air Force. (The word 'Royal' was dropped when India became a republic in 1950.)
• Role 1: Defend the nation's air space against enemy aircraft and missiles.
• Role 2: Support the Army and Navy in war — for example attacking enemy positions and carrying troops and supplies.
• Role 3: Protect India's interests outside its borders when required.
• Role 4: Rescue and relief during natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes.

2. Organisation: seven commands

• The IAF has seven commands — five operational, one for maintenance and one for training.
• Operational commands (tasks according to operational needs): Central Air Command – Allahabad (now called Prayagraj); Eastern Air Command – Shillong; Western Air Command – New Delhi; South-Western Air Command – Gandhinagar; Southern Air Command – Thiruvananthapuram.
• Maintenance Command – Nagpur, for maintenance of aircraft and equipment.
• Training Command – Bengaluru, for training.
• Note: Maharashtra has the Maintenance Command at Nagpur; Pune is the Army's Southern Command and Mumbai the Navy's Western Naval Command.

3. Fighter aircraft

• Mirage 2000: single-seat, single-engine air-defence and multi-role fighter from France.
• Su-30 MKI: twin-seat, twin-engine multi-role fighter of Russian origin, built in India.
• MiG-21: single-engine, single-seat multi-role fighter and ground-attack plane from Russia.
• MiG-27: single-engine, single-seat tactical strike fighter from Russia.
• MiG-29: twin-engine, single-seat air-superiority fighter from Russia.
• Jaguar: twin-engine, single-seat deep-penetration strike aircraft of Anglo-French origin.
• Tejas: India's own Light Combat Aircraft, inducted into the IAF in 2016.
• Today: some of these have since been retired — the MiG-27 in 2019 and the last MiG-21 squadrons in 2025 — and newer fighters such as the Rafale (from France, 2020) have joined. The book shows the fleet as it was when printed.

4. Transport aircraft and helicopters

• C-130J: can paradrop troops and loads, do heavy drops and casualty evacuation, and land on short or rough airstrips.
• C-17: can carry 40–70 tons over 4,200–9,000 km in a single flight (as the book says).
• AN-32: twin-engine turboprop medium tactical transport of Russian origin. IL-76: four-engine heavy, long-range transport of Russian origin.
• Mi-26: twin-engine heavy-lift transport helicopter (Russian). Mi-25/Mi-35: twin-engine assault and anti-tank helicopter.
• Mi-17 V-5: has modern navigation equipment, avionics and weather radar and can be used with night-vision goggles (NVG).
• Chetak: single-engine light utility helicopter (French design). Cheetah: single-engine helicopter of French origin used for forward air control and casualty evacuation.
• Dhruv: Indian-made transport helicopter that works well in mountains up to about 6,000 m. Rudra: Indian-made light armed utility helicopter for mountain areas.
• The IAF also has various types of missiles.

5. Armed forces headquarters on the map

• Army commands: Udhampur, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune, Lucknow, Kolkata.
• Navy commands: Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi; Andaman and Nicobar Command at Port Blair.
• Air Force commands: New Delhi, Shillong, Allahabad, Gandhinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Nagpur, Bengaluru.
• Map tip: use one colour per service and mark each HQ with a dot and its name; shade the area each Army or Navy command looks after.

Air Force commands

Key terms

Indian Air Force – Flashcards

Read the question, answer it in your head, then tap the card to check. 20 cards.

Indian Air Force – MCQ Quiz

15 questions. Tap an option — you will see at once if it is right and why.

How to study Indian Air Force

⏱ About 30 minutes

1. Understand (10 min)
   Read the IAF's history (1932 → 1947) and its four roles, and see how each type of aircraft serves a role.
2. Remember (10 min)
   Learn the seven commands and HQs from the table; then group aircraft into fighters, transport and helicopters, noting Indian-made ones (Tejas, Dhruv, Rudra).
3. Practise (10 min)
   Answer the 'Try it yourself' questions, take the quiz and play 🎮 Play.