Chandigarh:  The union government has approved the generation of a weapon system branch for the officers of the Indian Air Force, that would save it Rs3,400 crore in flying training, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari said. He said that the IAF intends to start inducting female agnivesters the next year.

At the air force base in this city, where the IAF was celebrating its 90th anniversary, Chaudhari gave a speech outlining how having "flexible, strong, and redundant command and control systems" would enable a joint force to be dominant across domains.

A war cannot be won by one service on its own. He said, efforts are being made to improve cooperation between the three services. A new combat uniform design for IAF soldiers was introduced during the time. He stated that this is the first time since Independence that a new operational branch is being developed in reference to the development of a weapon system branch.

The Air marshal said, the new branch will primarily staff the specialised streams of operators for remotely piloted aircraft, surface-to-surface missiles, and surface-to-air missiles. Due to lower costs for flying instruction, he claimed that opening this branch would save more over Rs 3,400 crore.

A ceremonial parade that was staged at the local air force station on Saturday morning to commemorate the IAF anniversary was inspected by Chaudhari. Afterwards, there was a march-past.

When the IAF chief arrived, the Ensign Formation from 3 Mi-17V5, headed by Wing Commander Vishal Jain, flew past.Senior officers from the three services, representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Air Marshal Sreekumar Prabhakaran, Western Air Command, and veterans were among those present.

The head of the IAF stated that the introduction of drones, swarm drones, hypersonic weapons, and space-based ISR systems had given warfare a new facet.

Artificial intelligence is being employed for speedy decision-making and huge data processing in order to efficiently handle the complete spectrum. The possibilities of automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence are being used to revolutionise our operating philosophy, and I'm delighted to announce that numerous projects are already well under way, he said.

President Droupadi Murmu and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend an Air Force Day fly-past later in the day at the Sukhna Lake complex. Nearly 80 military planes and helicopters will take part.

The Air Marshal said, the Agnipath scheme's induction of airmen into the IAF is both a challenge and a chance to utilise the youth of India's ability for the sake of the country. He added that the IAF will induct 3,000 "Agniveer Vayu" for their initial training in December. "We have revised our operational training approach to guarantee that each Agniveer is equipped with the proper skills and knowledge to start their career in the Air Force," he said, adding that  "This number will only increase in the years to come to provide enough staffing." The IAF has faced its fair share of difficulties over the past year and has overcome them "front on and with all guns blazing."

The IAF head claimed that they had carried out a wide range of tasks, from ongoing deployment along our borders to carrying out disaster relief operations and rescuing stranded Indians from conflict zones. Space and cyberspace have joined the conventional domains of land, sea, and air to form a single continuity of hybrid warfare.

Given these realities, he asserted, it is impossible to approach present problems from a perspective of the past.
"The way battles are fought has evolved with the addition of non-kinetic and non-lethal warfare to kinetic means. Therefore, Chaudhari remarked, modern, adaptable, and flexible technology will need to be added to conventional systems and weapons.

He added the anniversary festivities' theme, IAF: Transforming for the Future, is very appropriate and emphasises the IAF's need to change to become a modern, future-ready force. 
With the introduction of next generation fighters, AWACS (air-borne early warning control system), AEW&C, and fly refuelling aircraft, Chaudhari stated that the IAF's fighting potential must be maintained throughout time."We have started taking the required efforts to make sure that the strength of our fighter squadron remains at the desired level," he stated.
We are aggressively seeking the acquisition of ISTAR, UAVs, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems technologies, and improving our networks, he said. Indigenous development of six AEW&C Mk-IIs has been approved.

"To ensure the least amount of disruptions, modern military forces must be adequately self-sufficient. "Make in India" is a positive step, the speaker remarked. He said that the IAF's resolve to becoming self-sufficient is evidenced by the locally created AFNET (communication network setup), IACCS, and e-MMS.

He cited a few examples of indigenous equipment that has already been included and used in the force: the LCA, ALH, Akash surface-to-air missile, Astra BVR, LCH, and Brahmos.

The IAF chief said, we have a contract in place for 83 LCA Mk 1As and are completely committed to the development of the LCA Mk-II and the AMCA (advanced medium combat aircraft). The IAF has selected to host its annual Air Force Day parade and fly-past outside of the Delhi-NCR for the first time.

The IAF head declared, "In a break with tradition, we have chosen to host the AF Day parade in Chandigarh this year and in various sites throughout the country from here on." 'Curated by the sheer hard work, tenacity, and vision of our ancestors,' he remarked, 'our proud legacy is what we have inherited.

As he paid respect to IAF heroes, Chaudhari said, "It will only be proper to honour the efforts of our veterans who have plotted this road and now it is on us to guide the Air Force into the centenary decade." He stated, "We owe it to our future generations to reconfirm our devotion to the Constitution of India today and to safeguard the integrity and sovereignty of our nation."

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