India celebrates Air Force Day on October 8 to raise awareness about the Indian Air Force (IAF) as an organisation that strives to strengthen national security and authority.

Highlights

• The day is marked in the presence of the IAF Chief and senior officials of the three-armed forces. Vintage aircrafts put up a magnificent show in the open sky.
• The motto of the IAF is ‘Nabha Sparsham Deeptham’, which means ‘touch the sky with glory’. It was taken from the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, which comprises the discourse given by Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
• Air Force Day is observed on 8 October every year because it was on this day in the year 1932 that the Indian Air Force was officially founded as a supporting force for the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.