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Indian Air Force
*** Shopping-Tip: Indian Air Force
The '''Indian Air Force''' ('''à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤à¥€à¤¯ वायà¥? सेना''' : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the
airforce 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 Royal Indian Air Force. The prefix Royal was dropped after
India became a
Republic in
1950. It is the fourth largest
air force in the world.
Image:IAF-Crest.jpg thumb|200px|IAF logo with the motto: ''Nabha Sparsham Deeptam'' - Touching the Sky with Glory
Image:IAF-flag.svg tiranga.html" title="Meaning of right right|thumb|250px|IAF flag with the [[tiranga in the top left and the roundel used on planes to the right.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|IAF flag with the [[tiranga">right|thumb|250px|IAF flag with the [[tiranga in the top left and the roundel used on planes to the right">thumb|250px|IAF flag with the [[tiranga">right|thumb|250px|IAF flag with the [[tiranga in the top left and the roundel used on planes to the right
History
Formation and early pilots
{{Military of India}}
The Indian Air Force (IAF) was established as the ''Royal Indian Air Force'' by the passing of the Indian Air Force act on
October 8 1932. Accordingly, IAF's Number 1 Squadron came into being on
April 1 1933. Initially, the IAF consisted of five fighter pilots, one
Royal Air Force RAF commanding officer and four
Westland Aircraft Westland Wapiti biplanes.
The first five pilots commissioned into the IAF were H C Sircar, Subroto Mukerjee, Bhupendra Singh, A B 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
1933.
Subroto Mukerjee later went on to become the IAF's first
Chief of the Air Staff (India) Chief of the Air Staff. Subsequent batches inducted before
World War II included
Aspy Engineer, K K Majumdar, Narendra, R H D Singh, S N Goyal,
Baba Mehar Singh, Prithpal Singh and
Arjan Singh.
World War II (1939-1945)
The Royal Indian Air Force played an instrumental role in blocking the advance of the
Imperial Japan Japanese army in
Myanmar Burma, where its first air strike was on the Japanese military base in
Rakhine State 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
United States U.S.-built
Vultee Aircraft Vultee Vengeance,
Hawker Hurricane and
Westland Lysander, were added to its fleet.
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
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
New Delhi Safdarjang, then known as ''Willingdon Airfield'', the IAF landed Indian troops at
Srinagar airfield at 09:30 hours
Indian Standard Time 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 Kashmir from Pakistani-held Kashmir.
Democratic Republic of Congo Congo Operation (1961)
Belgium's 75-year colonial rule of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo 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
English Electric Canberra Canberra aircraft as a part of the UN-led mission in Congo.
Sino-Indian War (1962)
Image:DacotaIAF.jpeg Indian Army thumb|right|250px|Indian Air Force's failure to provide air-cover to the [[Indian Army|ground forces during the
Sino-Indian War was blamed on poor
Government of India government policies. However, the IAF successfully carried out most of its assigned air-support missions. Shown here are 2 IAF Dakota aircraft carrying out a supply drop mission during the war..html" title="Meaning of ground forces.html" title="Meaning of thumb|right|250px|Indian Air Force's failure to provide air-cover to the [[Indian Army|ground forces">thumb|right|250px|Indian Air Force's failure to provide air-cover to the [[Indian Army|ground forces during the
Sino-Indian War was blamed on poor
Government of India government policies. However, the IAF successfully carried out most of its assigned air-support missions. Shown here are 2 IAF Dakota aircraft carrying out a supply drop mission during the war.">ground forces.html" title="Meaning of thumb|right|250px|Indian Air Force's failure to provide air-cover to the [[Indian Army|ground forces">thumb|right|250px|Indian Air Force's failure to provide air-cover to the [[Indian Army|ground forces during the
Sino-Indian War was blamed on poor
Government of India government policies. However, the IAF successfully carried out most of its assigned air-support missions. Shown here are 2 IAF Dakota aircraft carrying out a supply drop mission during the war.
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
Government of India failed to organise the IAF assault 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.
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
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
De Havilland Vampire Vampire FB Mk 52s were successful in staggering the Pakistani invasion. During the conflict IAF
English Electric Canberra Canberras raided several Pakistani bases including
Sargodha and
Chakala. At one stage the IAF was operating 200 air missions simultaneously. IAF
Folland Gnat 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.
The Indian Air Force 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. The IAF was also involved in several air combats with their Pakistani counterparts. According to some neutral defence agencies, Pakistan Air Force lost twenty of its combat aircraft during the war.{{ref|global}} IAF carried out most of its operations against well protected Pakistani military bases, a reason why the IAF suffered more losses than the
Pakistani Air Force. However, the Indian Air Force was successful in inflicting heavy casualties on the
Pakistani Army Pakistani army and
Pakistani Navy navy. A detailed account of the Indian Air Force in this particular war, titled "[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Books/ The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965]" was published recently.
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
After the
1965 1965 War, the Indian Air Force went through an intense phase of modernisation and consolidation. With newly acquired
HAL HF-24 Marut HF-24,
MiG-21 and
Sukhoi 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 Marshall Pratap Chandra Lal. On
November 22, 10 days before the start of a full-scale war, four
Pakistan Air Force 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. By mid-December the PAF had carried out strikes against Indian bases in Srinagar, Ambala, Sirsa, Halwar and Jodhpur. IAF's initial strategy was defensive, but after witnessing Pakistan Air Force's aggressive assault it launched a vigorous campaign against
Pakistan. Within the first two weeks, the IAF had carried out more than 4,000 sorties in
West 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. On the western front too, IAF inflicted heavy casualties on Pakistan and played a crucial role in thwarting the Pakistani invasion. During the
Battle of Longewala, the IAF destroyed over 50 Pakistani tanks and armoured vehicles. Not until the
Gulf War would so many tanks be neutralised with little to no air losses. The
air superiority was such that Richard Sisson in his book noted: "in the
Sindh sector... [the Pakistan troops] were left unsupported by an [Pakistan] air force fearful of losing planes and unsympathetic to the military's cause". In three weeks of intense fighting the IAF rapidly gained the initiative and dominated the skies, securing an Indian victory.
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 people 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.
Operation Safed Sagar
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
Pakistan 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 shot down by
Pakistan Air Force Pakistani air defence missiles. The latter was on a search operation to find the former's crash site, and the downed pilot, when it was shot down. 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)
IAF air staff
Image:IAF-roundel.svg Saffron.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|right|150px|The present [[Saffron and
Green IAF roundel was adopted after India became a
republic in
1950..html" title="Meaning of right|150px|The present [[Saffron">thumb|right|150px|The present [[Saffron and
Green IAF roundel was adopted after India became a
republic in
1950.">right|150px|The present [[Saffron">thumb|right|150px|The present [[Saffron and
Green IAF roundel was adopted after India became a
republic in
1950.
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 (India) 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)
Image:IAF-Fin-Flash.svg tiranga.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|The Indian Air Force uses vertical national colors ([[tiranga) as its fin flash..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|The Indian Air Force uses vertical national colors ([[tiranga">thumb|250px|right|The Indian Air Force uses vertical national colors ([[tiranga) as its fin flash.">250px|right|The Indian Air Force uses vertical national colors ([[tiranga">thumb|250px|right|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
Britain British model. Over the years the rank structure has seen significant changes.
*
Warrant Officer Master Warrant Officer
*
Warrant Officer
*
Warrant Officer Junior Warrant Officer
*
Sergeant
*
Corporal
*
Leading Aircraftman Aircraftsman
Structure of the IAF
The head of the Indian Air Force,
Chief of the Air Staff (India) 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
Commander-in-Chief Fleet Air Officer Commander-in-Chief in the rank of
Air Marshal.
{| border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:95%; margin:0 auto;"
|-
!bgcolor="#CCCCCC" |Commands
!bgcolor="#CCCCCC" |HQ Location
!bgcolor="#CCCCCC"|Current AOC-in-C
|-
|-
|Western Air Command ||Subroto Park,
New Delhi || Air Marshal S.S. Dalal ||
|-
|Eastern Air Command ||
Shillong,
Meghalaya || Air Marshal Fali H Major ||
|-
|Central Air Command ||
Allahabad,
Uttar Pradesh || Air Marshal J.S. Gujral ||
|-
|Southern Air Command ||
Trivandrum,
Kerala || Air Marshal Sharad Yeshwant Savur ||
|-
|South Western Air Command ||
Gandhinagar,
Gujarat || Air Marshal PK Mehra ||
|-
|Training Command ||
Bangalore,
Karnataka || Air Marshal BN Gokhale ||
|-
|Maintenance Command ||
Nagpur,
Maharashtra || Air Marshal KS Chaturvedi ||
|}
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 three IAF Squadrons and along with the Forward Support Bloc Units (FSBU), it is responsible for maintaining the installation. Currently, 47 Wings and 19 FSBUs 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.
IAF Aircraft
''See
List of aircraft of the IAF which includes a list of current, future and historical aircraft of the IAF.''
Image:Image-IAF6a.JPG thumb|250px|right|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
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border:3px solid #cccccc; font-size:80%; font-family:Arial,Helvetica"
|- bgcolor="cccccc"
| align="center" colspan="5"| Current Aircraft
|- bgcolor="efefef"
| 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 || 3, 21, 51, 32 || 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 || 85 || 12
|-
| Ground Attack || MiG-27 ML || 2,10,18,22,29,222,TACDE(0.5) || 104 || 13
|-
| Ground Attack || MiG-23 || 221 || 16 || 2
|-
| Ground Attack || MiG-21 M/MF || 17,37,101,108 || 64 || 8
|-
| 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 || 2 || 2
|-
| 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 || 32 || 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
|-
| 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
|}
Air superiority aircraft
{|align=right
|
Image:Su30MKIaero.JPG thumb|right|250px|IAF Sukhoi Su-30 MKI
|-
|
Image:IAFMiG.JPG thumb|right|250px|IAF MiG-29 K
|-
|
Image:M1000.JPG thumb|right|250px|IAF Mirage 2000
|-
|
Image:Mig-27.jpg thumb|right|250px|IAF MiG-27
|-
|
Image:India.Military.03.jpg thumb|right|250px|IAF Jaguar IM
|-
|
Image:JaguarIS.JPG thumb|right|250px|IAF Jaguar IN
|-
|
Image:Cheetah.gif thumb|right|250px|IAF Cheetah
|}
The
Sukhoi Su-30 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 number 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 ''R-550 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
Light Combat Aircraft LCA HAL Tejas by about
2011.
Strike, attack and offensive support aircraft
Squadrons of
SEPECAT Jaguar Jaguar IM,
MiG-27 and
MiG-23 aircraft serve as the IAF's primary strike force. The twin-engine
SEPECAT Jaguar Jaguar, with a top speed of Mach 1.3, is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The IAF currently possess 100
SEPECAT Jaguar Jaguar IM and 20 maritime strike
SEPECAT Jaguar Jaguar IS aircraft. The single-seater
MiG-27 carries one
Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 GSh-6-30 30mm 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 MiG-25 (''Foxbat'') R, U reconnaissance aircraft. The high-speed
interceptor aircraft interceptor aircraft carries four
Bisnovat R-40 R-40 (AA-6 'Acrid') air-to-air missiles, two
Vympel R-23 R-23 (AA-7 'Apex') and four
Molniya R-60 R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') or
Vympel R-73 R-73 (AA-11 'Archer'). The MiG-25, in service since the late 1980s, is due to be replaced. In
2003, the IAF bought 6
Il-78 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
Israel Aircraft Industries IAI Malat-built Searcher MkII and
IAI Heron 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 will also assist
Aeronautical Development Agency Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), India's leading
unmanned aerial vehicle research agency, to develop three new
UAVs.
HAL HAL Lakshya, indigenously-developed pilotless target aircraft, was inducted into the IAF in July
2005.
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 Mi-17 1V (''Hip-H'')
*
Mi-17 (''Hip-H'')
*
Mi-8 (''Hip'')
*
Mil Mi-24 Mi-25/35 (''Hind'')
*
HAL HAL Dhruv Dhruv
*
HAL HAL Cheetah
*
HAL HAL Chetak
Training aircraft
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 and earning the nickname ''flying coffins''. 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
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HPT-32 Deepak basic training aircraft.
Future Aircraft
Image:F-15 Su30 Mir2000.jpg Sukhoi Su-30 MKI.html" title="Meaning of left left|thumb|250px|Two IAF [[Sukhoi Su-30 MKI (rear) and two IAF
Mirage 2000 fly with two
USAF F-15 (middle of V-formation) during Cope '04..html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|Two IAF [[Sukhoi Su-30 MKI">left|thumb|250px|Two IAF [[Sukhoi Su-30 MKI (rear) and two IAF
Mirage 2000 fly with two
USAF F-15 (middle of V-formation) during Cope '04.">thumb|250px|Two IAF [[Sukhoi Su-30 MKI">left|thumb|250px|Two IAF [[Sukhoi Su-30 MKI (rear) and two IAF
Mirage 2000 fly with two
USAF F-15 (middle of V-formation) during Cope '04.
Eager to end its dependence on the
MiG-21s, the IAF announced that it intended to purchase 126 to 200 aircraft valued well over US$9 billion (2006 Est). The air force sent a Request of Information (RoI) for the following aircraft:
MiG-29 Russian MiG-29 M2,
Mirage 2000 French Mirage 2000-5Mk2,
Saab Gripen Swedish Gripen and the
F-16 US F 16C. Besides the
F-16 F-16Cs, the
United States U.S. has also offered the sale of
F-16 F-16 Block 70 and
F/A-18 Hornet F/A-18 Hornet 18E/F combat aircraft. However, the IAF seemed inclined towards purchasing the
MiG-29 MiG-35 (MiG-29OVT). It recently purchased 12
Mirage 2000s from
Qatar and has also placed an order for 29 upgraded versions of indigenously-manufactured
SEPECAT Jaguar 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 5 Billion US $; the revised plan brings the total value of the contract to 8.5 billion US $. The Indian Defence Ministry sent a revised RoI to
Lockheed Martin,
Boeing,
Dassault,
Saab and
BAe. Dassault recently removed Mirage 2000 from the race and replaced it with
Rafale, claiming the latter to be a much better aircraft suited for Indian needs. However, with BAe's
Eurofighter Typhoon also on the race, deciding which aircraft to go for wouldn't be easy for the IAF. The new aircraft will not only increase IAF fleet but would also replace aging Jaguars, MiG-23s and MiG-27s.
In Development
Image:4781.jpg thumb|right|250px|HAL Tejas
Besides 200 medium multi-role combat aircraft, the IAF will also buy 120+ indigenously-built
HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft light combat aircraft in a deal worth US$ 1.5 billion. These aircraft are expected to enter service by
2010. The
HAL HJT-36 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
Hawker Siddeley Hawk 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
UAV un-manned surveillance aircraft in collaboration with
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).
In
2001, the
Government of India Ministry of Defence signed a deal with
Russia to jointly develop and fund the
Sukhoi Su-47 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/A-22 Raptor in all aspects. Initially,
Mikoyan-Gurevich's
Mikoyan Project 1.44 Project 1.44 was expected to get the contract. However,
Sukhoi Sukhoi Aviation Corporation came up with a more cost-effective aircraft and won. Design work has commenced on Sukhoi's experimental
Sukhoi Su-47 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.
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.
Missile systems
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 system under the IAF are
Prithvi missile Prithvi 2 ballistic missiles and the SAM 3 air defence system. The IAF and the Indian Army are currently developing
Akash missile Akash and
Trishul missile Trishul surface-to-air missiles as a part of the
Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
See also
{{commonscat|Indian Air Force}}
*
35 Squadron Indian Air Force
*
Surya Kiran, Indian Air Force aerobatic team
*
List of aircraft of the IAF
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External links
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Official website of The Indian Air Force
-
Indian Air Force on bharat-rakshak.com
-
Global Security article on Indo-Pakistani Wars
-
Indian Air Force on india-defence.com
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see
Indian Air Force
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Category:Fighter aircraft
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