Weapon system branch, women Agniveers from next year: IAF chief

Chandigarh, Oct 08: IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Saturday said that the women Agniveers are likely to be inducted into the air force by next year and also announced that the Centre has approved the creation of a weapon system branch for the officers of the Indian Air Force, which would save it Rs 3,400 crore in flying training.

"We are also planning on induction of women Agniveers starting next year. Creation of infrastructure is in progress," ANI quoted the IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari in a tweet.

Speaking on the occasion of Indian Air Force Day celebrations in Chandigarh, he said, "We've changed our operational training methodology to ensure that each Agniveer is equipped with the right skills & knowledge to start a career in IAF. In December this yearr, we'd be inducting 3,000 Agniveer Vayu for initial training. This number will go up in the years to come,"

He further stated that the induction of air warriors into the Indian Air Force through Agnipath scheme is a challenge for the armed forces. "But more importantly, it's an opportunity for us to harness the potential of India's youth and channelise it towards service of the nation," he said.

Announcing the creation of the weapon system branch, he said, "On this historic occasion, it is my privilege to announce that the government has approved the creation of a weapon system branch for the officers in the IAF. "This is the first time since Independence that a new operational branch is being created,"

The weapon system branch will essentially man the specialised streams of surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air-missiles, remotely piloted aircraft, and weapon system operators in twin and multi-crew aircraft, he said.

The creation of this branch would result in savings of over Rs 3,400 crore due to the reduced expenditure on flying training, the IAF chief said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the members of the Indian Air Force and their families on the occasion of Air Force Day.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "On Air Force Day, my greetings to the courageous air warriors and their families. In line with the motto of नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम्, the Indian Air Force has shown exceptional dexterity for decades. They have secured the nation and also shown remarkable human spirit during disasters."

This is the first time that the annual parade and fly-past is being held outside Delhi-NCR.