The Indian Air Force at 85

Ground Realities

Not so long back, India had prided in its Air Force which was three times the size of its western adversary, the Pakistan Air Force and possessed a far more modern combat aircraft inventory than that of China’s. Sadly, this has changed in the last two decades. The IAF is today down to some 32 combat squadrons, vis-a-vis the authorised 42, and the IAF’s edge over the PAF is at an all-time low ratio of 1.5:1, instead of the desired 3:1.

China has an increasing number of state-of-the-art indigenously developed aircraft programmes which include two stealth fighter aircraft, a modern heavy transport aircraft and two attack helicopter types already in service. With China’s defence budget being over three times that of India’s, they will continue to pull away and surge ahead. Meanwhile, the IAF’s acquisition plans have been mired by slow decision making and the very long delayed development of the indigenous Tejas LCA.

At the current pace, it may take the IAF another 15 years to reach the authorised 42 combat squadrons strength. A two-pronged approach is thus required to get back on track : drive hard the ‘Make in India’ plan, and accelerate procurement of already selected systems.

The IAF’s fleet of Mirage 2000s are being upgraded to ‘I’ standards

IAF current combat assets

The IAF’s top-of-the-line air dominance fighter, with significant ability for surface strike, is the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, with 272 on order and already some 230 in service as on date. Three squadrons of MiG-29s are being upgraded jointly with Russia to UPG standards, as are 50 plus Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft, brought up to Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2 standards with modern avionics and new weapons. The IAF has six squadrons of the Jaguar DPSA and two of the MiG-27UPG dedicated strike aircraft, and both these types have been upgraded. 125 MiG-21Bisons (less attrition) are presently retained in front line service but will have all gone by 2025. The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft was meant to replace the large numbers of MiG-21s, but three decades after the programme began, the first IAF squadron with Tejas Mk. I aircraft has only recently been formed, to be full squadron strength only by end 2018.

Amongst the IAF’s strategic assets are three Beriev A-50 platform-based EL/W-2090 Phalcon AWACS and two more are on order. The DRDO have worked on their own AEW&C programme involving EMB 145s and two have been handed over. Other force multipliers are in the shape of Ilyushin Il-78 mid-air refuellers, but the present strength is grossly inadequate for the IAF’s operational tasks.

The EMB 145 as platform for DRDO’s AEW&C programme (photo: Angad Singh)

India’s Armed Forces operate IAI Searcher II and Heron UAVs for reconnaissance and surveillance while numbers of IAI’s Harpy anti-radar loitering munition are reportedly in the inventory. DRDO’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) is developing Embraer EMB-145 regional jet-based AEW&C with a dorsalmounted Active Array Antenna Unit (AAAU). The DRDO is also developing a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV ‘Rustom’ to supplement Heron UAVs in service. Then they are developing the AURA (Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft) an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) which will be a tactical stealth aircraft built largely with composites, and capable of delivering laser-guided strike weapons.

An IAF Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic heavy airlifter

 The Transport Fleet

One hundred Antonov An-32 medium transport aircraft remain workhorses of the IAF and have recently benefitted from an avionics upgrade (some aircraft also have been assigned a bombing role). The few remaining Avro (HS)748s are being used for communications duties, replacement for these same being sought, with the Airbus C-295 as its identified successor. There are 17 Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifters, augmented by ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs (an additional aircraft was just ordered). The IAF has five Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules for special operations and these will be joined by another six in the near future. 56 C-295Ws are reportedly to replace the HS-748 fleet, the first 16 of which will come from the Airbus plant in Spain with the remaining 40 to be built in India by a consortium of Airbus Defence and Space and Tata Advanced Systems. The HAL-Dornier 228 light transport aircraft serves in the light logistics and staff transport role while large numbers are employed for multi-engine conversion training.

Flying Training

The Indian Air Force has selected the Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II for stage I basic flying training and these are planned to be augmented by the indigenous HTT-40 after its clearance for service. Pilots proceed to Stage II on the HAL Kiran Mk.II and then after selection move to Stage III on the HAL-BAE Hawk Mk 132 advanced jet trainer. The Hawk is also being assigned a combat role even as the IAF’s formation aerobatic team Surya Kiran have also converted to the Hawk.

Pilatus PC-7 MK.II

Helicopters

HAL-built Chetak and Cheetah light utility helicopters (and the re-engined variant Cheetal) are being augmented by HAL Dhruv ALHs, while early version Mil Mi-8 and Mi-17 medium lift helicopter are being supplanted by modern variants, the Mi-171V, and Mi-17V5. The IAF’s heavy lift Mi-26 helicopters and Mil Mi-25/35 attack helicopters await supplementing by Boeing Chinooks and Apaches in the near future. The Kamov Ka-226T has been selected to become India’s Light Utility Helicopter to replace the Chetak and Cheetah with a plant in India to manufacture 140 of these. However, HAL have developed their Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and are preparing to produce 187 of these for the IAF and Army.

The IAF has ordered some 65 HAL Dhruv ALH and some numbers of HAL Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) plus 38 Rudras (the Weapon System Integrated (WSI) variant). The IAF has recently sent out a request for information (RFI) for an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with low radar cross-section, high service ceiling, 925 km range and capability to carry precision-guided weapons in an internal weapons bay.

Fighter aircraft upgrades

The Su-30MKI serves in very large numbers with the IAF and some are being modified to carry strategic weapons including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and possibly in the future, nuclear-capable Nirbhay cruise missiles. Initially, 40 aircraft are to be modernised with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, new generation onboard computers and modern Electronic Warfare (EW) suite.

Sukhoi Su-30MKI (photo: Angad Singh)

Then the MiG-29 : after upgradation,this type has increased multi-role capability, with more internal and external fuel, an aerial refuelling probe, new avionics including the Zhuk-M radar and advanced air-to-air missiles. As for the Mirage 2000(I) upgrade, this gives the Frenchorigin multirole fighter a RDY-2 radar, new mission computers, a glass cockpit, helmet-mounted sight, EW systems and MICA missiles, while its airframe life is also being enhanced by 20 years.

A number of Jaguars are being upgraded to DARIN III standard

HAL-built Jaguars are being upgraded to the DARIN III standard, and incorporate a multi-mode radar, new avionics architecture including the mission computer, engine and flight instrument system, solid state digital video recording system, solid state flight data recorder, additional inertial global positioning system, better electric power source, an autopilot and Radar Warning Receiver. The DARIN III Jaguar will have two MFDs and a modern head-up display. All Jaguars will be upgraded by December 2017 and with life extension, will serve the IAF till 2035.

In the IAF’s original plans, some 14 LCA squadrons, with 294 aircraft, were to replace the MiG-21s in service. However, owing to the long gestation period and performance shortfalls, the IAF has ordered 40 Tejas LCA Mk.Is and, instead of waiting for the LCA Mk.II, has projected requirements for 83 Mk.IAs. While the Mk.I will receive Final Operational Configuration (FOC) in 2018, the Tejas Mk.IA is to be equipped with AESA radar, an EW suite and mid-air refuelling probe. Meanwhile, work is in progress to reduce the LCA’s weight, with some modifications for easier service maintainability. The Tejas Mk II was to have the more powerful F414-GE-INS6 engine with 98 kN of thrust, the ‘Uttam’ AESA radar to be developed by DRDO with a foreign partner under selection and a new EW suite and modern glass cockpit. The IAF had committed to procure an initial 105 Tejas Mk IIs, but induction into service in 2022 seems unrealistic.

The MMRCA requirement was the consequence of continued delays in the LCA programme and after nearly 15 years of evaluation, the Dassault Rafale was ordered, but the programme was changed with the original requirement for 126 reduced to only 36 ‘flyaway’ aircraft. This has meant that there will be a considerable shortfall in the IAF’s inventory for new-gen fighters: the IAF requires nearly 500 new combat aircraft by 2030 to compensate for phasing out of existing fighter and to make up for the existing shortfalls. This has spurred the Government to seek new single-engine fighters. On 3 January 2017, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced plans for a competition to deliver hundreds of new single engine fighters, Made-in-India. The Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 and Saab Gripen E are obvious contenders, the selected type to be built in India with an Indian company nominated as the ‘strategic partner’.

The Tejas LCA has now entered series production at HAL’s Bangalore Complex

The FGFA and AMCA

HAL has been involved in developing the FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft), a derivative of the Sukhoi PAK-FA, as a joint programme with the Russians. In parallel, as a follow-on to the LCA programme, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) have been working on their 5th generation stealth multi-role Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Projected as a 20 ton-class aircraft, this would replace the legacy Jaguar, Mirage 2000 and MiG-29s from the early 2030s. The IAF requires around 250 AMCAs.

Rudra: the armed ALH

Army and Naval Air Arms

In reality there are another four air arms in aIndia, including those of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Border Security Force. The Indian Army currently has some 150 helicopters comprising the HAL Chetak-Cheetah, Dhruv ALH, and Rudra, more of the latter with 114 HAL LCHs also on order. The Indian Army has also requested for 39 Apache helicopters but a final decision has still to be taken in this regard.

The Indian Navy’s requirement for large numbers of multirole helicopters, to replace the current Sea Kings is assuming urgency as is its need for new utility helicopters to replace the present Chetaks. There are a score of Kamov Ka-28s and Ka-31 AEW helicopters in its inventory. The Navy has for long operated fighters for its aircraft carriers, and after phase out of the VTOL Sea Harriers, has now some 45 MiG-29Ks for operation from its sole aircraft carrier. With another due for commissioning in a few years, the Government has recently issued an RFI for 57 carrier borne fighters.

For the long range maritime patrol/ ASW task, the Navy operates the modern Boeing P-8I Poseidon, an initial eight to be followed by another four. There are eight Tupolev Tu-142Ms (now retiring) and five Ilyushin Il-38s, plus nearly 40 HAL Dornier 228s for maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare and Information Warfare tasks.

Indian Navy MiG-29 KUB takes off from Dabolim (photo: Angad Singh)