Air Saviours

Yunus Dar

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has always been at the forefront of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the country. Since Independence, India has experienced a number of natural and man-made disasters. The IAF has not only carried out relief and rescue operations in the country but also extended its help to other nations, especially to neighbouring countries where it has emerged as the lead force in HADR operations.

The IAF also boasts of an exceptional airlift capability, with the fixed-wing and rotary-wing transport assets being in adequate numbers today. While the transport fleet’s traditional role has been ‘Air Maintenance’ of Indian troops in the western borders and maintaining troops and civilian population in the eastern borders, it has always been deployed for HADR missions successfully. The fixed wing and rotary-wing transport fleets of the IAF are always the first pick when it comes to HADR ope