The Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrated its 90th anniversary on October 8, 2022. Over the last 90 years, the IAF has grown by transforming itself from a tactical to a potent and strategic air force. Over these years, the IAF has demonstrated unrivalled adaptability, innovation and resilience to become a technology intensive fighting force that operates the latest generation of aircraft, weapon systems, radars and communication systems. As the fourth largest Air Force in the world, the IAF today stands poised at the threshold of becoming an aerospace force.

The IAF has proved itself on every occasion starting from the post-independence 1947 conflict till the recent special air operation on non-military targets in Balakot. However, it has a challenging future in this decade as it would witness changes in all domains including induction of aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, missiles, radars, force enablers, communications, network centric operations, air battle management, high end military technology, cyber and space along with human resource restructuring. These challenges would need to be addressed with caution, as the coming decade would inevitably see the fruition of meaningful joint and integrated planning and warfighting at all levels.

This book is an academic and scholarly effort by CAPS that puts together the glorious past of the IAF and its future trajectory in two different sections. Stitched together by chapters written by an aviation enthusiast, serving and veteran officers, the book touches upon the formation of the IAF and various facets of its operations.