Chennai, Oct 8 (UNI) An immaculate ceremonial parade, a breath-taking demonstration of air power and a spectacular static display of state-of-the-art equipment marked the celebrations of the 92nd anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Air Force Station, Tambaram in Chennai, on Tuesday.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan graced the celebrations, while the ceremonial parade was reviewed by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.
In his address, the Chief of Air Staff underscored the need for IAF to remain prepared to meet any contingency that challenges the national interests.
He said the current global security environment is in a state of constant flux and ongoing conflicts have demonstrated an inescapable need to have a strong and capable Air Force.
"Adopting the latest technology along with innovative and out-of-the-box thinking will play a decisive role in today’s multi-domain environment," he added.
The Air Chief Marshal emphasised that the theme of Air Force Day 2024, ‘Bhartiya Vayu Sena: Saksham, Sashakt, Aatmanirbhar’ perfectly describes the aspirations of IAF.
“Over the years, we have become more empowered with better technology and achieved new levels of op-exploitation of systems and weapons. Aatmanirbharta in the field of defence R and D and manufacturing is our priority", he said.
Concrete steps have been taken to support Make in India initiatives by engaging MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, professionals, R&D institutes and academia,” he added.
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