IAF’s Transport Fleet: A Lifeline During Humanitarian And Military Crisis

NEW DELHI: In its 90th year of service, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has become the flagbearer of India’s relief efforts across the world. From emergency airlifts to beefing up garrisons on the Line of Actual Control with China to evacuating Indian and foreign nationals from war-torn Ukraine, not to forget Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, to carrying aid and assistance to disaster-hit countries, and providing medical help including vaccines to many others. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has a vast transport fleet, probably one of the largest in the world. The addition of 13 Hercules C-130J and 11 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft has brought a substantial increase in the strategic lift roles of the IAF and helped it evolve to ably manage both defence support and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions.