Monitoring Desk,08-May; Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the first-of-its-kind Indian Air Force (IAF) Heritage Centre today at Chandigarh. It was set up under a memorandum of understanding(MoU) between the Union Territory of Chandigarh and the IAF which was signed last year. Spread over 17,000 square feet, this is the first heritage centre of the IAF and depicts its role in 1965, 1971 and the Kargil wars and the Balakot air strike through murals and scale models.
The heritage centre has several attractions such as aircraft models, aero engines and weapons, including Gryazev-Shipunov twin-barrelled guns. It showcases augmented reality, hologram, virtual reality, and electro-mechanical enclosures, interactive kiosks highlighting various facets of the IAF. There are also flying simulators at the centre which will give flight experience to visitors. The attractions of the heritage centre also include five vintage aircraft and SAM-III Pechora missiles.
A Hindustan Piston Trainer-32 primary flying trainer aircraft has been on display at the centre. Its period of operation in the Indian Air Force was from 1977 to 2009. A MiG 21 single-seat fighter has also been positioned. The centre also has a special segment which has been dedicated to women officers in the IAF for their contributions. It depicts IAF war campaigns starting with the role in the Indo-Pak war of 1948 to electro-mechanical 3D-dioramas depicting its latest operations such as the Balakot air strike.
An audio-visual gallery will present the journey of the IAF through time, tracing its evolution from its inception to the modern day as well as promotional movies. There is a section where uniforms of the IAF will be shown, besides an enclosure for its ranks and badges. One section of the walls also displays several rescue operations of the IAF. The centre also houses a souvenir shop and a theme based cafe.
Rajnath Singh inaugurates 1st-of-its-kind Indian Air Force Heritage Centre
