Indian Air Force
The
Indian Air Force (
भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the
air-arm of the
Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian
airspace. It was established on
October 8,
1932 as the Indian Air Force. It was granted the prefix "Royal" in 1945 in recognition of its services during the Second World War. The prefix Royal was dropped after
India became a
Republic in
1950. It is the fourth largest
air force in the world.
 |
IAF emblem with the motto: Nabha Sparsham Deeptam - Touch the Sky with Glory |
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IAF flag with the tiranga in the top left and the roundel used on planes to the right |
Formation and early pilots
The Indian Air Force (IAF) was established with the passing of the Indian Air Force act on
October 8 1932. Accordingly, IAF's No.1 Squadron came into being on
April 1 1933. Initially, the IAF consisted of five Indian pilots, one
RAF commanding officer and four
Westland Wapiti biplanes.
The first five pilots commissioned into the IAF were Harish Chandra Sircar, Subroto Mukerjee, Bhupendra Singh, Aizad Baksh Awan and Amarjeet Singh. A sixth officer, S N Tandon had to revert to ground duties as he was too short. All of them were commissioned as
Pilot Officers in
1932 from RAF Cranwell.
Subroto Mukerjee later went on to become the IAF's first
Chief of the Air Staff. Subsequent batches inducted before
World War II included
Aspy Engineer, K K Majumdar, Narendra, Daljit Singh, Henry Runganadhan, R H D Singh,
Baba Mehar Singh, S N Goyal, Prithpal Singh and
Arjan Singh.
The Royal Indian Air Force played an instrumental role in blocking the advance of the
Japanese army in
Burma, where its first air strike was on the Japanese military base in
Arakan. It also carried out strike missions against the Japanese airbases at
Mae Hong Son,
Chiang Mai and
Chiang Rai in northern
Thailand. During the war, the Indian Air Force went through a phase of steady expansion. New aircraft, including the
U.S.-built
Vultee Vengeance,
Hawker Hurricane and
Westland Lysander, were added to its fleet.
In recognition of the services rendered by the IAF,
King George VI conferred the prefix "Royal" in 1945. Thereafter the IAF was referred to as
Royal Indian Air Force. In 1950, When India became a republic, the prefix was dropped and it reverted back to Indian Air Force.
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Dakotas of the No. 12 Squadron of the Royal Indian Air Force on supply drop mission during the 1947 war. |
In a bid to gain control of the erstwhile princely state of
Jammu and Kashmir, Pathan tribesmen, armed and aided by
Pakistan poured into
Kashmir on
October 20,
1947. Incapable of withstanding the armed assault in his province, the
Maharaja of Kashmir,
Hari Singh, asked India for help. The
Government of India made its assistance conditional upon Kashmir's accession to
India. The
Instrument of accession was signed on
October 26 1947 and the next day Indian troops were airlifted into
Srinagar. The agreement was later
ratified by the British.
Taking off from
Safdarjang, then known as
Willingdon Airfield, the IAF landed Indian troops at
Srinagar airfield at 09:30 hours
IST on
October 27. This was the most instrumental action of the war as the troops saved the city from the invaders. Apart from the airlifting operations and supplying essential commodities to the ground troops, the Indian Air Force had no other major role to play in the conflict. On
December 31,
1948, both nations agreed to a
UN mediated cease-fire proposal marking the end of hostilities. A Line of Control has since separated Indian-held Kashmir from Pakistani-held Kashmir.
Belgium's 75-year colonial rule of the
Congo ended abruptly on
June 30,
1960. Unable to control the deteriorating situation in its former African colony, Belgium asked for
UN assistance. In India, Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru was quick to respond to the initial appeal for help and sent IAF
Canberra aircraft as a part of the UN-led mission in Congo.
In 1962,
China launched a sudden assault on Indian military ground positions in the states of
Arunachal Pradesh and
Jammu and Kashmir. The IAF was called to counter-attack the Chinese raid and to supply troops fighting near the Sino-Indian border. The IAF carried out several extremely demanding operations, including the bombing of Chinese helipads in
Tibet's mountainous region and airlifting injured soldiers. A notable feature of IAF operations during the conflict was operating
C-119 Flying Boxcars from airstrips 17,000 feet above sea level in the
Karakoram,
Himalayas.
However, the leadership(military-civilian) failed to organise the air assaults efficiently- one of the primary reasons for the Indian defeat in the conflict. Without essential air support, the
Indian Army faced overwhelming odds in their fight against well prepared Chinese troops. The Indian leadership grounded the IAF for the majority of the war fearing that if the IAF attacked Chinese forces, the PLAAF would retalliate on Indian cities. The IAF at the time possessed a superior force and could have won India the war if it was employed properly.
Soon after, the Indian government, learning from its mistakes, began a vigorous campaign to expand the IAF. An emergency flying scheme was started in Delhi, Madras, Kanpur, Nagpur and Patiala and more than 1,000 cadets received primary flying training by
1964. The IAF's strength was increased from 28,000 officers and men in
1961 to 100,000 officers and men by
1964. By 1965, the IAF had also added newly bought
Antonov An-12B and C-119G transport aircraft to its fleet.
On
September 1 1965, war erupted between the
Republic of India and
Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Indian Air Force's Number 45 squadron quickly responded to the urgent call for air strikes against the Pakistani army and IAF
Vampire FB Mk 52s were successful in staggering the Pakistani invasion. The Vampires were followed in quick succession by Mysteres of Nos 3 and 31 Squadron from Pathankot. While the Pakistani invasion was blunted, a price was paid. One Vampire was shot down by ground fire and three Vampires were shot down by PAF F-86 Sabres. The Vampires were grossly mismatched against the Sabres and paid the price.
The appearance of the Sabres necessiated a move by the IAF to send the Folland Gnat fighters to the forward base of Pathankot. The move succeeded - within two days the IAF drew first blood. Sqn Ldr
Trevor Keelor of No.23 Squadron shot down a F-86 Sabre on September 3, marking the first air combat victory to the IAF since WW2. The very next day Flt Lt V S Pathania repeated the feat - by shooting down Fg Offr NM Butt's Sabre of the PAF.
On September 6, The Indian Army crossed the border at Lahore to relieve pressure off the Chamb Jaurian sector. On the evening of the same day, the PAF responded with attacks on Indian airfields. The attack on Pathankot was successful and the IAF lost nearly 10 aircraft on the ground. However the attack on Halwara was a dismal failure. Two of the attacking raiders were shot down for the loss of two Indian Hunters. The Indian pilots ejected and survived while both PAF pilots were killed.
The next day, September 7, the IAF mounted over 33 sorties against the PAF airfield complex at Sargodha. about half a dozen aircraft were destroyed on the ground. But losses were heavy too. Two Mysteres and three Hunters were lost to various causes. One of the Mysteres was involved in an air combat with an F-104 Starfighter and shot it down before it crashed. The pilot Sqn Ldr
Devayya was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra only after 23 years passed. His feat was not known till it was revealed in a Pakistani Publication.
September 7 also marked the day when the PAF attacked IAF airfields in the Eastern Sector. The raid on Kalaikunda was successful once again and the IAF lost 8 aircraft in two raids. However the IAF had some consoling factor in that two of the attacking Sabres were shot down by IAF Hunters. One Indian pilot Flt Lt
A T Cooke engaged four Sabres singlehandedly and shot down one confirmed and claimed another as probable. This second 'probable Sabre flew back to Dacca but was declared a write off by the PAF.
The war tapered off after September 8th and there were ocassional clashes between the IAF and the PAF. During the conflict IAF
Canberras raided several Pakistani bases including
Sargodha and
Chakala. On September 14, Canberras undertook the deepest strike yet on the Pakistani bases of
Peshawar and
Kohat. The PAF admits that the IAF came very close to wiping out the PAF B-57 fleet if not for a near miss by a Canberra on that raid.
At one stage the IAF was operating 200 air missions simultaneously. IAF
Gnats of No 23 and 9 squadrons played a significant role in major air battles and helped to turn the tide after an initial Pakistani thrust.
In addition to counter air sorties, The Indian Air Force also launched massive offences on the invading army. The IAF also went in deep within the Pakistani territory and targeted Pakistan's airfields and missile launch centres.
On these missions, sporadic aircombats occurred between IAF and PAF fighters. One Gnat was shot down on Sept 12, followed by a Sabre on Sept 14. One Hunter and One Sabre were shot down in aircombat on Sept 16, and Three Sabres were downed by Gnats on Sept 18 and 19. The last aircombat of the war happened on Sept 20, when Two Hunters were shot down in exchange for one PAF Sabre. On the same day a F-104 intercepted a Canberra bomber on its way back from Sargodha and shot it down.
On Sept 21st, IAF Canberras carried out a deep strike daylight sortie into Pakistan and destroyed the PAF Radar at Badin using rockets. The Ceasefire was declared on the night of Sept 22.
The PAF had claimed 104 IAF aircraft destroyed for a loss of 19 aircraft, while India stated a loss of 35 aircraft compared to 73 PAF aircraft destroyed. However the Official Indian Armed Forces History finally revealed the Indian losses to be around 66, with a few more civilian aircraft also lost on the ground. The losses were mostly due to Pakistani raids on Indian Air Fields. The History also gives the correct claimed PAF aircraft destroyed at 48.
According to one neutral source "Losses were relatively heavy--on the Pakistani side, twenty aircraft, 200 tanks, and 3,800 troops. Pakistan's army had been able to withstand Indian pressure, but a continuation of the fighting would only have led to further losses and ultimate defeat for Pakistan."[
1]. One of the major roles of the IAF during the 1965 war was the keeping the Pakistan army's mobile artillery and tank divisions in check, the results of these IAF operations contributed to Pakistan suffering one of the greatest tank losses in modern war history, losing over 200 tanks. Pakistan's mobile artillery divisions also suffered tremendously contributing to the high casuality rate on Pakistan's side due to incessant IAF air attacks.
After the
1965 War, the Indian Air Force went through an intense phase of modernisation and consolidation. With newly acquired
HF-24,
MiG-21 and
Sukhoi Su-7BM aircraft, the IAF was able to measure up to the most powerful air forces in the world.
The professional standards, capability and flexibility were soon put to test in December
1971 when
India and
Pakistan went to war over (then)
East Pakistan. At the time, the IAF was under the command of Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal. On
November 22, 10 days before the start of a full-scale war, four
PAF F-86 Sabre jets attacked Indian and
Mukti Bahini positions near the Indo-Bangla border. Three of the 4 PAF Sabres
were shot down by IAF Gnats, and hostilities commenced. On the
3 December the PAF carried out strikes against Indian bases in Srinagar, Ambala, Sirsa, Halwara and Jodhpur.
Within the first two weeks, the IAF had carried out more than 4,000 sorties in
East Pakistan and provided
successful air cover for the advancing
Indian army in
East Pakistan. IAF also assisted the
Indian Navy in sinking several Pakistani naval vessels in the
Bay of Bengal.
Operation Meghdoot
In
1984, Indian intelligence agencies detected Pakistani infiltration in the disputed
Siachen Glacier region. The Indian Air Force launched Operation Meghdoot on
April 13, 1984 under which thousands of Indian paratroopers were airlifted to the region. The operation was a resounding success with India regaining control of more than 80% of the glacier. The operation showcased IAF's airlift capability which allowed constant transfer of troops and material on the highest battlefield on Earth.
Operation Cactus
In
November 1988,
Tamil mercenaries from
Sri Lanka invaded the
Maldives, a small island nation south of India. After an appeal by the Maldivian government for help, India launched a military campaign to throw the mercenaries out of Maldives. On the night of
November 3 1988, the Indian Air Force airlifted a parachute battalion group from
Agra and flew them non-stop over 2000 km to
Maldives. The Indian paratroopers landed at
Hulule and secured the airfield and restored the Government rule at Malé within hours. The brief, bloodless operation showcased the capability of the Indian Air Force and the
Indian Navy in what was labelled Operation Cactus.
During the
Kargil War with
Pakistan, the Indian Air Force is said to have proved the decisive force in accelerating the end of the conflict. It successfully provided considerable air-cover for Indian troops fighting against
Pakistani intruders and also carried out air assaults against enemy forces in Kashmir, but did not strike any targets in Pakistan. Most notable were the IAF's
Mirage 2000 aircraft, which carried out surgical operations to assist ground troops in securing the strategically crucial
Tiger Hill from its Pakistani captors. The IAF also carried out several operations to provide essential supplies to the ground troops. During the conflict, one IAF
MiG-27 and an IAF
MiG-21 were claimed shot down by
Pakistani air defence missiles However the Indian Air Force had stated that the
MiG-27 had an engine flameout in the initial stages of attacking the mountain top targets with its cannon. This is confirmed by an Unofficial Pakistan Air Force Website -
PAF Combat.com, maintained by a serving Air Commodore of the PAF. The MiG-21M was on a search operation to find the MiG-27s crash site, when it was shot down. Later, an Mi-17 helicopter was shot down by a shoulder-held missile with the loss of all its crew.
On
August 10 1999, a PAF French-built naval
Breguet Atlantic was caught spying over the
Rann of Kutch area and was shot down by two IAF
MiG-21 jets killing all 16 aboard. (See
Atlantique Incident)
With its headquarters in
New Delhi, the Indian Air Force has a strength of 170,000 personnel and 1129 combat aircraft (
2005 figure).
The administrative branch of the IAF is divided into three main branches:
* Flying Branch
* Administration
* Logistics and Training
and five sub-branches:
* Account Branch
* Technical Branch
* Education Branch
* Meteorological Branch
* Medical & Dental Branch
Rank structure
The head of the Indian Air Force is known as the
Chief of the Air Staff (currently
Air Chief Marshal Shashindra Pal Tyagi). The highest rank in the IAF is
Marshal of the Air Force, which is conferred by the
President of India only in exceptional circumstances.
Arjan Singh is the only officer to have achieved this rank (See
Field Marshal (India)).
Officer
The various ranks of personnel within the Indian Air Force are listed below in descending order:
*
Marshal of the Air Force (A ceremonial rank)
*
Air Chief Marshal (Chief of the Air Staff and equivalent to General and Admiral)
*
Air Marshal (equivalent to Lt. General in the Army)
*
Air Vice Marshal (equivalent to Major General in the Army)
*
Air Commodore (equivalent to Brigadier in the Army)
*
Group Captain (equivalent to Colonel in the Army)
*
Wing Commander (equivalent to Lt. Colonel in the Army)
*
Squadron Leader (equivalent to Major in the Army)
*
Flight Lieutenant (equivalent to Captain in the Army)
*
Flying Officer (equivalent to Lieutenant in the Army)
*
Pilot Officer (equivalent to Second-Lieutenent in the Army--abolished since 2005)
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The Indian Air Force uses vertical national colors (tiranga) as its fin flash. |
Airmen
During its formation, the rank structure of airmen was based on the
British model. Over the years the rank structure has seen significant changes.
*
Master Warrant Officer*
Warrant Officer*
Junior Warrant Officer*
Sergeant*
Corporal*
Leading Aircraftman*
Aircraftsman I & Aircraftsman IIThe head of the Indian Air Force,
Chief of the Air Staff, is assisted by
six officers: the
Vice Chief of the Air Staff, the
Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, the
Air Officer in Charge of Administration, the
Air Officer in Charge of Personnel, the
Air Officer in Charge of Maintenance, and the
Inspector General of Flight Safety.
Commands
The Indian Air Force currently operates seven
Commands. Each Command is headed by a
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief in the rank of
Air Marshal.
Wings
Wing is a static formation below the level of the Commands and is an intermediate between Command and Squadron. A Wing generally consists of various IAF Squadrons and Helicopter Units and along with the Forward Base Support Units (FBSU), it is responsible for maintaining the installation. FBSUs do not have or host any Squadrons or Helicopter units but act as transit airbases for routine operations. In times of war, they can become full fledged air bases playing host to various Squadrons.
Currently,
47 Wings and 19 FBSUs make up the IAF.
Squadrons
Squadrons are the field units and formations attached to static locations. In other words, a Flying Squadron is a sub-unit of an air force station which carries out the primary task of the IAF. All fighter squadrons are headed by the
Commanding Officer with the rank of
Wing Commander. Some Transport squadrons and Helicopter Units are headed by the
Commanding Officer with the rank of
Group Captain.
See List of aircraft of the IAF which includes a list of current, future and historical aircraft of the IAF. |
HAL Su-30 MKI |
The Indian Air Force has a strength of 750+ combat aircraft and presently operates with a total of 42 squadrons.Most of the IAF's fighter jets are of French, Russian and British origin, with designs by the latter two countries being constructed by Hindustan Aviation under license. The indigenously-built
HAL Tejas (formerly Light Combat Aircraft) is expected to enter service by
2010.
The various types of combat aircraft in the IAF are listed below.
Current aircraft numbers
| Current Aircraft |
| Role | Type | Squadron Numbers | Estimated Combat Aircraft | Estimated Trainer Aircraft |
| Air Superiority and Multi Role | MiG-29 | 28, 47, 223 | 48 | 6 |
| Air Superiority and Multi Role | Mirage 2000H 16 | 1, 7, 9 | 36 | 10 |
| Air Superiority and Multi Role | MiG-21 Bison | 3, 21, 32, 51 | 64 | 8 |
| Air Superiority and Multi Role | Sukhoi-30 MKI | 20 , 30 | 32 | 0 |
| Air Superiority and Multi Role | Sukhoi-30 MK | 24 | 18 | 0 |
| Air Superiority and Multi Role | MiG-21Bis | 4,15, 23,26,35,45 | 64 | 8 |
| Ground Attack | MiG-27 ML | 2,10,18,22,29,222,TACDE(0.5) | 104 | 13 |
| Ground Attack | MiG-23 BN | 221 | 16 | 2 |
| Ground Attack | MiG-21 M/MF | 17,37,101,108 | 72 | 9 |
| Ground Attack | Jaguar IS | 5,14,16,27 | 64 | 8 |
| Ground Attack | Jaguar IS | 6 | 10 | 2 |
| Reconnaissance | Canberra | 106 'B' Flight | 9 | 0 |
| Second Line Combat Aircraft | MiG-23 MF | 224 | 16 | 2 |
| Second Line Combat Aircraft | MiG-25R | 102 | 3 | 1 |
| Second Line Combat Aircraft | MiG-21FL | 8,52,MOFTU A,MOFTU B,OCU | 80 | 10 |
| Helicopters | Mi-8 | 105,107,109,110,112,118,119,121,122F | 102 | 0 |
| Helicopters | Mi-17 | 127,128,129,130,152,153 | 72 | 0 |
| Helicopters | Mi-24/35 | 104,125 | 20 | 0 |
| Helicopters | Mi-26 | 126HF | 4 | 0 |
| Helicopters | Chetak | 111,116,141SSS F, 142SSS F,HTS | 48 | 0 |
| Helicopters | Cheetah | 114,131F,132F | 24 | 0 |
| Helicopters | Dhruv | ? | 12 | 0 |
| Transport Aircraft | Il-76 MD (24) | 44,25 'A' | 24 | 0 |
| Transport Aircraft | Il-78 MKI (6) | 78 | 6 | 0 |
| Transport Aircraft | An-32 (119) | 12,25'B',33,43,48,49,,PTS, TTW | 112 | 0 |
| Transport Aircraft | HS-748 (68) | 11,41 'A',59,106 'A',6 Cmd Flts(2 A/c) | 64 | 0 |
| Transport Aircraft | Do-228 (24) | 41,TTW,6 Comm Flts(2 A/c) | 40 | 0 |
| Transport Aircraft | Boeing 737 | Air HQ Flt | 4 | 0 |
| Transport Aircraft | Embraer 135BJ | Air HQ Flt | 4 | 0 |
| Trainer Aircraft | HJT-16 Kiran | AFA(A), AFA(B) , FIS , FTW | 0 | 84 |
| Trainer Aircraft | HPT-32 Deepak | BFTS, FIS, AFA | 0 | 70 |
Figures taken from
Indian Air Force Fleet PageAir superiority aircraft
|  | IAF MiG-29 K |
|
 | IAF Mirage 2000 |
|
 | IAF MiG-27 |
|
 | IAF Jaguar IN |
|
|
The
Sukhoi Su-30MKI (MKI: 'Multifunctional Commercial - Indian') is the IAF's prime air superiority combat aircraft. The Su-30K variant was first acquired in
1996. In October
2004, the IAF signed a multi-billion US$ contract with
Sukhoi according to which
Hindustan Aeronautics was given the license to manufacture 140+
Su-30MKI's with full technology transfer.
HAL plans to manufacture about 15 of these aircraft annually. The twin seater, multi-role fighter has a maximum speed of 2500 km/h (
Mach 2.35) and has a service ceiling of 17,500 metres. The aircraft with a normal fuel load 5270 kg can travel up to 1900 miles and can carry 8,000 kg external armament.
Multi role combat aircraft
These are aircraft for strike, offensive support and air defence purposes. The IAF currently possesses several multi-role fighter jets that perform these functions. Single-seater
Mirage 2000 and
MiG-29 serve both strike and defense squadrons. The
MiG-29 (
fulcrum) has a top speed of 2445 km/h (Mach 2.3) and is armed with a 30 mm cannon along with R-60 & R-27 R missiles. Capable of flying at 2500 km/h (Mach 2.3), the
Mirage 2000 is the IAF's prime ground-attack fighter jet. This aircraft can carry a wide range of weaponry including two 30 mm integral cannons, two
Matra super 530D medium-range missiles and two
R550 Magic close combat missiles. 175+ multi-role
MiG-21 (
Fishbed) combat aircraft have been serving the IAF for the past two decades. The air force plans to eventually replace MiG-21s with the indigenously-built
LCA HAL Tejas by about
2010.
Strike, attack and offensive support aircraft
Squadrons of
Jaguar IS,
MiG-27 and
MiG-23 aircraft serve as the IAF's primary strike force. The twin-engine
Jaguar IB, with a top speed of Mach 1.3, is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The IAF currently possess 100
Jaguar IS and 8 maritime strike
Jaguar IM aircraft. The single-seater
MiG-27 carries one
GSh-6-30 six barrelled 30 mm cannon, 4000 kg of general purpose SPPU-22 and SPPU-6 gun pods, and various guided air-to-surface missiles.
Reconnaissance aircraft
Besides various unmanned aircraft for reconnaissance, the IAF also possess several
MiG-25 (Foxbat) R, U reconnaissance aircraft. The high-speed
interceptor aircraft carries four
R-40 (AA-6 'Acrid') air-to-air missiles, two
R-23 (AA-7 'Apex') and four
R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') or
R-73 (AA-11 'Archer'). The MiG-25, in service since the late 1980s, were decommissioned from service in 2006. In
2003, the IAF bought 6
IL-78 aircraft from
Russia. The aircraft's primary role is mid-air re-fueling. Later on, the IAF fitted the aircraft with Israeli
IAI Phalcon early warning and communication systems, making the Il-78 capable of carrying out reconnaissance missions.
Unmanned aerial vehicles
The IAF currently operates
IAI Malat-built Searcher MkII and
Heron UAVs. IAF units are being provided with these UAVs progressively and projected to bolster one of the largest
UAV fleets of the world.
Israel Aircraft Industries and
Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), India's leading
unmanned aerial vehicle research agency are also jointly developing three new
UAVs.
, indigenously-developed pilotless target aircraft, was inducted into the IAF in July
2005. Israel has also bought a few of the Laksya PTAs. Another UAV, the
Nishant Remote Piloted Vehicle (RPV) has also been developed, with an endurance of over 3 hours. It will be inducted into the
indian army by 2007. The 380 kg Nishant UAV does not require a runway to launch, and is launched by rail-launching from a hydro-pneumatic launcher. Launches at a velocity of 45 m/s are carried out in 0.6 seconds with 100 kW power. Another smaller mini-UAV, called Kapothaka is also being developed by
Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE). DRDO's Vehicle research Development Establishment (VRDE) also developed a UAV based on the Nishant engine.The MiG-21 is the backbone of the Indian Air Force and was used extensively for training pilots. IAF has lost around 220 of these jets in the last 10 years, more then any other country, and more than in any of the 3 wars it has been used in. The replacement for the Migs to train young pilots has been ordered (BaE Hawks) and will eventually replace the Migs as the IAF's advanced trainer aircraft.
Support helicopter
An important objective of the IAF is to support ground troops by providing air-cover and by transporting men and essential commodities across the battlefield. The list of helicopters currently in service with the IAF:
*
Mi-17 1V (
Hip-H)
*
Mi-17 (
Hip-H)
*
Mi-8 (
Hip)
*
Mi-25/35 (
Hind)
*
HAL Dhruv*
HAL Cheetah*
HAL ChetakTraining aircraft
The Indian Air Force currently operates more than 175
MiG-21 aircraft. Nearly 50 of these are the older Type-77 variant ([[MiG-21|MiG-21FL) which are used for operational training. The IAF initially planned to replace the {{MiG-21}} fleet with indigenously-built {{HAL Tejas}} aircraft by {{2006}}. However, the target could not be met due to developmental delays and a {{United States|U.S.}} sanction, following the {{Operation Shakti|Pokhran tests}}, which blocked the delivery of {{GE|GE F404}} engines- a crucial component of the aircraft.
In {{2003}}, the IAF placed an order for 66 {{Hawker Siddeley Hawk|Hawk T1}} training aircraft in a deal worth over 1 billion GBP. The supply of these advanced trainer aircraft will bring to an end the use of the {{MiG-21}} as a training jet. {{India}} also manufactures less-sophisticated {{Hindustan Aeronautics Limited|HAL HJT-16 Kiran}} and this aircraft will be replaced with the advanced HJT-32. IAF uses {{Hindustan Aeronautics Limited|HPT-32 Deepak}} for basic training.
{{Image:F-15 Su30 Mir2000.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Two IAF {{Sukhoi Su-30 MK}} (rear) and two IAF {{Mirage 2000}} fly with two {{USAF}} {{F-15}} (middle of V-formation) during Cope '04.]]The Indian Air Force currently operates more than 175
MiG-21 aircraft. Due to its aging equipment, several MiG-21s used in training roles have crashed over the past six years, killing over 50 IAF pilots. The IAF initially planned to replace the MiG-21 fleet with indigenously-built
HAL Tejas aircraft by
2006. However, the target could not be met due to developmental delays and a US sanction, following the
Pokhran tests, which blocked the delivery of GE F404 engines- a crucial component of the aircraft.
Eager to end its dependence on the MiG-21s, the IAF announced that it intended to purchase 126 aircraft worth over US$6 billion in
2004. The air force sent a Request of Information (RoI) for the following aircraft: Russian
MiG-29 M2, French
Mirage 2000-5Mk2, Swedish
Gripen and the US
F-16C. Besides the F-16Cs, the US has also offered the sale of F-16 Block 70 and
F/A-18 Hornet 18E/F combat aircraft. However, the IAF seemed inclined towards purchasing the MiG-35 (MiG-29OVT). In 2005 it planned to purchase 12 Mirage 2000-5 from Qatar but Doha ceased negotiations with New Delhi for the sale of the aircraft claiming the bid quoted by India was too low. IAF has placed an order for 29 upgraded versions of indigenously-manufactured Jaguar IM strike aircraft.
Experts estimate that for India to exert influence over
South Asia and the
Indian Ocean region, it would require at least 60
squadrons of aircraft performing multi-role combat, deep penetration strike, air superiority, air defence, reconnaissance and electronic warfare tasks. However, the IAF presently operates only 42 squadrons, making the acquisition of these, and other aircraft all the more vital. In November 2005, the Indian Defence Ministry decided to purchase 200 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft instead of the initial proposal of 126 aircraft, opening the door for more than one supplier. The value of the original contract was 6 Billion
USD; the revised plan brings the total value of the contract to 11 billion USD. The new aircraft will not only increase IAF fleet but would also replace aging Jaguars, MiG-23s and MiG-27s.
It is reported that most IAF officers favour the MiG-35 and the Mirage 2000-9 over the F-16s and F/A-18 Hornets. MiG and Dassault have historically been reliable suppliers in terms of transfers of technology, licensed production in India, personnel training, supply of spare parts, maintenance and upgrading. IAF pilots and technicians are familiar with earlier aircraft from MiG and Dassault and would need minimal retraining. Infrastructural and logistical support for maintenance and spares would also be easier for these aircraft compared to the unfamiliar Gripens, F-16s and F/A-18s.
Apart from the 200 multi-role combat aircraft and 120+
Light Combat Aircraft, the Indian Air Force was recently given a clearance by the Indian Ministry of Defence to purchase 80+ combat helicopters, six to eight air-refuelling planes and some additional medium-range transport aircraft. India is eyeing to buy 10 to 15
C-130 HerculesJ aircraft.
In Development
 |
HAL Tejas |
Besides 200 medium multi-role combat aircraft, the IAF will also buy 120+ indigenously-built
HAL Tejas light combat aircraft in a deal worth US$ 1.5 billion. These aircraft are expected to enter service by
2010. The
HAL HJT-36 Intermediate Jet Trainer carried out its maiden test flight in
2003 and is all set to enter service within the next 5 years. HAL recently signed a deal with Russian company Saturn DDB for supply of a specially designed engine for the trainer. The 66
Hawk T.132s will begin arriving in India from
2007. The Hawk, along with the
HAL HJT-36, will serve the IAF's future fighter training needs. Apart from combat and training aircraft, India is also developing
surveillance aircraft in collaboration with
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).
In
2001, the
Ministry of Defence signed a deal with
Russia to jointly develop and fund the
Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks Frontovoi Aviatsyi (
Future Air Complex for Tactical Air Forces) program. The program was initiated to develop a fifth generation fighter aircraft to fill a role similar to that of Lockheed Martin's
F-22 Raptor in all aspects. Initially,
Mikoyan-Gurevich's
Project 1.44 was expected to get the contract. However,
Sukhoi Aviation Corporation came up with a more cost-effective aircraft and won. Design work has commenced on Sukhoi's experimental
Su-47 Berkut aircraft. PAK FA proves to be a very ambitious program and the estimated costs for developing the aircraft vary between US$15-20 billion. As of
2003 it was undergoing flight testing. The aircraft is set to go into production for the Russian and Indian Air Force in
2009. The
SU-47 Bekrut is currently under devolopment by the Russian Sukhoi aircraft company and PAK and is expected to enter service for India in 2009-2010.
India is also planning to construct a fifth generation aircraft named as the
Medium Combat Aircraft or MCA. The MCA is presently in early stages of development and production is expected to commence in
2015.
Hindustan Aeronautics has already commenced the development of a medium-range transport aircraft which will replace the IAF's ageing fleet of
Antonov An-32s.
Besides conducting air-based warfare, Indian Air Force also bears the responsibility of protecting Indian skies making anti-aircraft and surface-to-air missiles an important component of the IAF. The most notable missile systems under the IAF are
Prithvi 2 ballistic missiles and the SAM 3
Pechora air defence system. The IAF also operates several OSA-AK Air Defence batteries for airdefence of airfields, in addition to several flights using the SA-16 Igla
MANPADS missiles.The IAF and the Indian Army are currently developing
Akash and
Trishul surface-to-air missiles as a part of the
Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
*
No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force*
No.22 Squadron, Indian Air Force*
No.35 Squadron, Indian Air Force*
Surya Kiran, Indian Air Force aerobatic team
*
Sarang, Indian Air Force Helicopter formation display team
*
List of aircraft of the IAF *
Official website of The Indian Air Force*
Indian Air Force on bharat-rakshak.com*
Global Defense News, Discussions and Military Pictures @ Defense Talk.com
*
Global Security article on Indo-Pakistani Wars*
Bharat Rakshak article on Jaisalmer AFS* Interesting Indian Air Force Trivia -
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2,
3,
4,
5,
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