The foremost thing recruiters of an organisation expect from the applicants is their knowledge about the organisation. The more knowledge the applicant has, the easier it will be to get along with co-workers. Hence, it increases his/her chances of being selected into that organisation.
In the case of the military, the assessors look forward for the OLQs to select aspirants. But at the end of the day, even they are inclined towards the candidate who has more knowledge about the organisation (like in case of a tie). It will be easier for him/her to get along after induction and that’s what they want.
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So, here are the 8 such basic points about the Indian Air Force you need to know to increase your selection chances in the AFSB interview:
- Okay, first things first, IAF was established on 8 October 1932, having a strength of 25 soldiers of which 19 were airborne soldiers. Ever since then, the Indian Air Force went through extreme modernisation and expansion, both in strength of man and technology.
- IAF’s missiles are among the best in the world as of last year. It has undergone many acquisitions and upgrades to modernise its fleet.
- Today, Indian Air Force is the fourth largest and professionally acclaimed strategic Air Force in the world operating around 33 squadrons. At its peak, IAF once operated about 224 squadrons.
- With around 1,70,000 personnel and 1,500 aircraft, it is behind of The U.S., Russian and Chinese Air Forces respectively.
- It is also the seventh strongest Air Force in the world in terms of strength, better than German, Australian and Japanese Air Forces.
- Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon is the only IAF officer who has been awarded the Param Vir Chakra, in recognition of lone defence of Srinagar Air Base against PAF during Indo-Pak war 1971. Read more about the brave air warrior here.
- The IAF flag, adopted in 1951, is blue in colour, containing the National Flag in the first quadrant and a roundel of the colours of the National Flag in rest three quadrants.
- The first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst, made the IAF an independent service under no control of the Army.
- Its motto “Nabha Sparsham Deeptham” is taken from the eleventh chapter of the Gita. The way Lord Krishna shows his supreme divine form to Arjuna, in a similar way, the Indian Air Force aims to overwhelm the adversaries with application of aerospace power in defence of the nation. Literally, it means “Touch the Sky with Glory”.
- Arjan Singh holds the rank as an Indian Air Force Marshall. In recognition of his services he was awarded a ‘Five Star’ rank in the year 2002. Know more about it here.
- Padmavati Bandopadhayay, The first woman Air Marshall of the Indian Air Force, she is the second woman in IAF to be promoted to a three-star rank. She was awarded the Vishist Seva Medal (VSM) for her conduct during Indo-Pak War 1971 and has shown courage many times.
- The Air Force has over 60 air bases spread all over India. These are grouped into 7 commands. With 16 air bases, the Western Air Command is the largest Air Command.
- Garud Commando Force is the special operation unit of IAF that consists of approximately 1500 personnel. The unit derives its name from Garuda, the divine mythical bird in Hindu Mythology. It’s tasked with the protection of critical installations and Frey take control under hostilities. Here’s how you can join the Garud Force.
- The IAF created a world record by performing the highest landing of a C-130J at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh at the height of 16614 feet (5065 metres) and another record by its ‘skyriders’ team in ‘Pradakshina’ travelling more than 10,000 km on Paramotors.
- The IAF’s primary air superiority fighter with the additional capability to conduct air-ground (strike) missions is Sukhoi Su-30MKI. The IAF is the only air force that operates C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules, and Il-76 – the three largest transport aircraft. Read here more about IAF’s fighter aircraft and transport aircraft.
- The Indian Air Force has made a world record rescuing people from strife-torn Yemen last year. Here are more amazing rescue operations by the IAF last year.
- Recently, the IAF gave nod to induct the women pilots into the fighter stream who will be trained till 2017.
- All the officers of the Indian Air Force are trained in the prestigious Air Force Academy before being commissioned into one of the best forces in the world.
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So, you are all caught up with IAF-101 now. Do you have more interesting things to share about IAF? Join the discussion with others on Facebook.
