The Indian Air Force has embarked on a mission to capture its glorious past for the future generation to digitise and archive its records in order to preserve its rich and varied history.
The project has been christened “Project Marut” after the first indigenous jet fighter, the HAL HF-24 Marut.
An official statement here today said the project aims to collate, digitise and archive the IAF’s historical records, making them accessible for research and study. It also aims at preserving the history as well as to find the rare gems of historical value that are scattered along the length and breadth of the nation.
“The IAF has already archived all the records held in its History Cell, including declassified files, photographs, mission reports, operational studies, etc. Innumerable closed files, some dating back to the pre-independence period have also been identified for preservation. Same is the case with some very old photographs,” the statement said.
The aim of scanning the documents was two pronged, i.e. to preserve the documents in digital format and to make it available for research/reference by airwarriors, air veterans, academicians and avid civilian military historians.
The IAF has also urged veterans/historians to contribute to the endeavour by sharing personal recollections, photographs, log books, etc. It is hoped that these would help develop an all-encompassing picture of the IAF’s rich history. These historical records can be collected by the nearest AF Station or emailed by to projectmarut@gmail.com.
