Indian Air Force to establish new branch for SAMs, UAVs, AirDefence

Gearing up to meet new challenges that require high-tech specialists, the Indian Air Force is making a new weapon programs branch that may man all missile models, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) squadrons and function in multi-crew plane.

Announcing the new branch, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari stated that the unification of all weapon programs operators below a single entity will end in financial savings of over Rs 3,400 crore

The price financial savings would accrue as these specialised officers won’t bear flying coaching and in future, officers from the flying branch – be it fighter, transport or helicopters – can think about their main duties.

“The government has approved the creation of a Weapon System Branch for Officers in the IAF. This is the first time since Independence that a new operational branch is being created,” the officer stated, talking on the event of Air Force Day.

In the long run, personnel shall be immediately inducted into the specialised streams and would find a way to achieve experience on specific kinds of weapon programs.

One of the specialised streams shall be Surface to Surface Missiles through which personnel will function the Brahmos system that’s deployed close to the border to strike at enemy air bases, radars and communication hubs.

Another steam could be Surface to Air Missiles that may take care of all air defence programs in service, together with S-400 models, Akash squadrons in addition to Israeli origin Spyder missiles apart from a variety of older Russian origin squadrons.

Acknowledging the rising position of unmanned fight, the air drive is making a stream for Remotely Piloted Aircraft as properly.

These specialised operators shall be skilled to use the vary of UAVs that embody Heron surveillance drones, Harpy suicide drones and newer programs being inducted.

The fourth branch shall be Weapon System Operators for twin- and multi-crew plane. Their position shall be to have interaction enemy air and floor targets in plane just like the Su-30MKI and twin-seat variants of the Rafale and Mirage 2000 jets.

“The creation of weapon systems branch would entail unification of all weapon system operators under one entity dedicated to the operational employment of all ground-based and specialist airborne weapon systems,” defence ministry officers stated.