To mark the 92^nd anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh gave a warm send-off to ‘Vayu Veer Vijeta’ car rally from the National War Memorial, New Delhi on October 01, 2024. With the send-off, over 50 air warriors, including women, have left to Thoise in Ladakh, from where they will undertake an expedition to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, covering a total of 7,000 kms across nine States/Union Territories (UTs). The rally will also witness the participation of former Air Force Chiefs in different legs.

Speaking on the occasion, the Raksha Mantri lauded the air warriors for serving the motherland in difficult circumstances with bravery, dedication and patriotism. “IAF has achieved significant feats in its bid to protect the country and its people. It is capable of giving a befitting reply to the country’s enemies by striking them deep into their territory. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we are committed to equip IAF with most advanced aircraft/platforms and make them more capable through the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative,” he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh extended his best wishes to the air warriors, who will be part of the rally that would traverse through tough and varied terrains. The formal flag-off will take place on 8^th October from Thoise, which is one of the world's highest altitude air force station at 3,068m above mean sea level. The air warriors will halt at Leh, Kargil, Srinagar, Jammu, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Agra, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Darbhanga, Bagdogra, Hasimara, Guwahati, Tezpur and Dirang, before concluding the rally in Tawang on October 29, 2024.

The aim of the rally is to raise awareness among the people about the glorious history of IAF; the deeds of valour of the air warriors in different wars & rescue ops; and attract the youth to serve the motherland. The Raksha Mantri stated that during the car rally, the air warriors will hold interactions with the youth at schools & colleges in various States/UTs, exuding confidence that the exchanges would motivate the young ignited minds to join the Armed Forces and lead the life of pride & honour.

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, former Chiefs RKS Bhadauria (Retd) & AY Tipnis (Retd) and other senior officials of IAF were present on the occasion. The rally has been organised by IAF in coordination with the veterans of Uttarakhand War Memorial. The Adventure Cell of IAF is leading and coordinating the rally.

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VK/Savvy