Indian Air Force Day 2020: On IAF's 88th Anniversary, Here's A Look At Its Key Aircrafts

In a series of tweets, the IAF posted description about its arsenal. Here’s a look at the key fighter jets of the Air Force and how they strengthen India's airpower.

Indian Air Force personnel march past a Rafale jet during its induction ceremony into the Indian Air Force at the Ambala Air Force Station in Ambala on September 10, 2020. (Photo by Prakash SINGH / AFP)

IAF Day 2020: The Indian Air Force marks its 88^th anniversary on Thursday and an outstanding flypast is organized at Hindon base in Ghaziabad, which will also be India’s display of strength amid ongoing border disputes with China. The Air Force Day is celebrated to mark the day the IAF was established in 1932. The Tejas LCA, Jaguar, Mig-29, Mig-21 and Sukhoi-30 aircraft will be a part of the event. The flypast would include the vintage aircraft, modern transport aircraft and frontline fighter aircraft. The ceremony will conclude at 10.52 am with a spellbinding aerobatic display. The five Rafale fighter jets which were formally inducted into the IAF on September 10, will be the key highlight of the day. PM Narendra Modi wished the Air Force personnel on the 88th anniversary of Indian Air Force. He said,"You not only keep the skies of the country secure but also play a leading role in the service of humanity during disasters. Your courage, valour & dedication inspires everyone." In a series of tweets, the IAF posted description about its arsenal. Here’s a look at the key fighter jets of the Air Force and how they strengthen India's airpower. Rafale: The Rafale is a 4.5 generation, twin-engine omnirole, air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship and nuclear deterrence fighter aircraft, equipped with a wide range of weapons. SU-30MKI “Flanker”: The Su-30MKI is a twinjet multirole air superiority, all-weather, long-range fighter aircraft. Mi-35: The Mi-35 is a twin-engine turboshaft, assault, anti-armour helicopter capable of carrying 8 men assault squad with four-barrel 12.7 mm rotary gun in nose barbette and upto 1500 kg of external ordnance including Scorpion anti-tank missiles. C-17 “Globemaster”: The C-17 is a high-wing, 4-engine, T-tailed military-transport aircraft, capable of carrying large equipment, supplies and troops both by day and night. Its key strengths include extended reach and swift response. An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 Globemaster (Photo by Tauseef MUSTAFA / AFP) C-130J “Super Hercules”:  The C-130J is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. IAF has integrated this machine for Special Ops, HADR missions and air maintenance roles. AH-64E Apache: The Apache is a twin-turbo shaft attack helicopter with a tandem cockpit for two crew & a tail wheel-type landing gear arrangement. Apache helicopter (Photo by Prakash SINGH / AFP) LCA “Tejas”: The Tejas is an indigenously developed, single-engine, fourth-generation, high-agility, multirole, supersonic light combat aircraft. MiG 21: The MiG-21 is a supersonic air combat interceptor known for its agility and swift response. (Based on information put out by IAF)