Showcasing its precision strike capabilities during day and night, Indian Air Force on Sunday carried out a massive fire power blitzkrieg using its frontline aircraft such as SU-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, MIG 27 and MIG 29, at the Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan.

The government on Friday allocated Rs 1,47,344 crore towards defence in 2010-11 budget, a paltry four percent increase from last year's Rs 1,41,703 crore.

The IAF is planning to hold a joint war game with the Chinese Air Force in 2012, even as it prepares to showcase its capabilities to fight a war during "day, dusk and night" on February 28 in Rajasthan.

A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force on Friday crashed near Bagdogra in West Bengal minutes after take-off but the pilot ejected to safety.

In a recently issued circular, the IAF has told its personnel that they should not approach VVIPs and VIPs to influence matters pertaining to their postings in the service.

The Indian Air Force will complete flight test evaluation for the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) by April next year, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Naik said.

The Indian Air Force on Tuesday allayed fears of a threat from China in the eastern skies and said it was fully geared to give the necessary protection.

India will shortly test fly the indigenously designed and built Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), which will augment the IAF’s fleet of small and highly manoeuvrable rotary flying machines.

Two days after a Sukhoi fighter jet crashed, the second this year, the Indian Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of 100 SU-30 aircraft.

The three-day conference of station commanders of Eastern Air Command on issues pertaining to operational requirements in North-East began here this morning.

After getting the power to requisition any aircraft during emergencies, the NSG has got the approval of the Indian Air Force to use its planes to transport commandos for anti-terror duties.

Suggesting that politicking was hampering defence requirements, IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal P K Barbora on Thursday said private industry's participation be increased in the defence sector and India should be "bold enough" to allow more FDI in the area.

In remarks that could stoke controversy, a top Indian Air Force official on Tuesday said women may be recruited as fighter pilots provided they do not become mother till a certain age.

An IAF MiG-27 fighter jet on a routine training sortie today crashed in a tea garden near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal but the pilot managed to eject safely.

Top IAF commanders on Wednesday reviewed the force's operational readiness, new acquisitions and replacement of ageing equipment, apart from its rapid strides in building capabilities in net-centric operations and the entire spectrum of warfare.

Moving closer to induction of the Light Combat Aircraft by the end of 2010, the IAF conducted five-week multi-disciplinary trials of a pair of indigenous fighters at its Jamnagar air base.

With government approving a Home Ministry offensive against Maoists, Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said the IAF too was all set to get permission to open fire in self-defence during anti-Naxal operations after laying down safeguards and procedures.

The IAF on Thursday dismissed suggestions that its capabilities and strength were weaker than that of China and Pakistan, with Air Chief Marshal P V Naik saying "we are not a rag-tag air force".

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik told reporters that the Garud special forces would be present in the helicopters flying in Maoist-hit areas for rescue operations.

Talking tough a day after the beheading of a Jharkhand police officer, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the security forces will engage the Maoists till they abjure violence and the air force will take steps to protect itself from any Naxal attacks.

The Indian Air Force is consolidating its MiG-29 presence in Adampur, situated along the western border with Pakistan. IAF plans to station all its three MiG-29 squadrons there.

IAF's plans to induct upgraded MiG-29 by March next year has been hit due to delay at the Russian end with the first lot of six aircraft likely to come in only by early 2011.

The IAF is upgrading six airstrips in Arunachal Pradesh bordering China to improve its capabilities to move troops there quickly, Air Chief Marshal P V Naik said in New Delhi on Thursday.

Committing itself to a greater role in the government's fight against Maoists, the IAF on Thursday said it has sought permission from the Defence Ministry to open fire at the Left extremists if its helicopters or air crew came under attack.

The IAF will induct lethal killer drones within two years, providing itself the capability to hit high value targets such as enemy missile and radar sites, and even terrorist hideouts.