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 aerial warfare and securing the 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. With its headquarters in New Delhi, the Indian Air Force has a strength of approximately 170,000 personnel and 1,350 combat aircraft (2006 figure) making it the fourth largest air force in the world.^[1]

History

Main articles: History of the Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force'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.

World War II (1939-1945)

Main articles: India during World War 2

During World War II, the IAF played an instrumental role in thwarting 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 IAF went through a phase of steady expansion. New aircraft, including the U.S. built Vultee Vengeance and the British 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.

First Kashmir War 1947

Main articles: Indo-Pakistani War of 1947

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the IAF conducted a paratrooping operation from Safdarjang, then known as ''Willingdon Airfield'', to Srinagar airfield at 09:30 hours IST on October 27. This was the most instrumental action of the war as the paratroopers played a crucial role in blocking the advance of Pakistani mercenaries. Apart from the airlifting operations and supplying essential commodities to the ground troops, the Indian Air Force was assigned no other major role during the conflict by the Indian Ministry of Defense. On December 31, 1948, both nations agreed to a UN mediated cease-fire proposal marking the end of hostilities. A Line of Control (LoC) has since separated Indian-held Kashmir from Pakistani-held Kashmir.

Congo Operation 1961

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 the United Nations for assistance. India was one of the first UN-members to respond to the initial appeal for help and sent IAF Canberra aircraft as a part of the UN-led mission in Congo.

Indo-China Conflict 1962

In 1962, in the spate a number of increasingly violent border clashes, 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.
However, the military and civilian leadership failed to organise and co-ordinate 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 trained 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 retaliate on Indian cities.
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, Patiala and Adampur 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, men, and women by 1964. By 1965, the IAF had also added newly bought Antonov An-12B and C-119G transport aircraft to its fleet.

Second Kashmir War 1965

Main articles: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

In 1965, India and Pakistan went to war over Kashmir for the second time. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 tested the strength of the Indian Air Force to its full limit. The Indian Air Force was successful in bombarding several Pakistani air-fields, military installations and ammunition depots deep inside Pakistani territory and provided crucial air cover to the Indian Army. During the war, the IAF carried out more than 4073 combat sorties^[2], compared to the PAF's 2279 total sorties. IAF helicopters proved to be highly useful in logistics and rescue efforts (MedEvac). According to India, the IAF lost 35 planes while the Pakistani Air Force lost 55 planes during the course of the conflict.

Growth and Re-organization (1965 - 1972)

HAL HF-24 Marut.

After the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the IAF underwent a series of changes. In 1966, the Para Commandos regiment was created. With an intention of increasing its logistics supply and rescue operations ability, the IAF inducted 72 Avro 748s which were built by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) under license from Avro. The aircraft were modified to play a variety of roles and were fitted with a large radome to act as a Airborne Early Warning platform. India started to lay more stress on indigenous manufacture of fighter aircraft. A total of 147 HAL HF-24 Marut, designed by famed aerospace engineer Kurt Tank, were inducted into the air force. HAL also started working on a new improved version of Folland Gnat, known as HAL Ajeet.
During the late 1960s, the IAF also started inducting MiG-21s and Sukhoi Su-7s fighters which had a top speed of Mach 2. The induction of these advanced fighter jets was the beginning of close collaboration between India and the Soviet Union. With Soviet help, coupled with increasing role of Hindustan Aeronautics, the Indian Air Force was now rated as one of the most sophisticated air forces in Asia.

Bangladesh Liberation War 1971

IAF C-119 aircraft dropping Indian Paratroopers near Tangail, about 150 km from Dhaka, 11 December 1971.

The professional standards, capability and flexibility of the newly re-organized Indian Air Force were soon put to test in December 1971 when India and Pakistan went to war over erstwhile 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 Indian-Bangladeshi border in the Battle of Garibpur, and hostilities commenced. In what became the first ever dogfight over Bangladeshi skies, three of the 4 PAF Sabres were shot down by IAF Gnats. December 3 saw the formal declaration of war following massive, but failed preemptive strikes by the Pakistan Air Force against Indian Air Force installations in the west. The PAF targets were against Indian bases in Srinagar, Ambala, Sirsa, Halwara and Jodhpur on the lines of Israeli Operation Focus. But the plan failed miserably as Indians had anticipated such a move and no major losses were suffered.
The Indian Air Force was quick to respond to Pakistani air-strikes. 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 its operations against the Pakistani Navy and Maritime Security Agency in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. In the west, the air force destroyed 50 tanks and 40 APCs in the famed Battle of Longewala. The IAF pursued strategic bombing by destroying oil installations in Karachi, the Mangla Dam and gas plant in Sindh.^[3] As the IAF achieved complete air superiority over the eastern wing of Pakistan within a few days,^[4] the ordnance factories, runways, and other vital areas in East Pakistan were severely crippled. In the end, the IAF played a pivotal role in the victory for the Indian Armed Forces leading to the liberation of Bangladesh. In addition to the overall strategic victory, the IAF had also claimed 94^[5] Pakistani aircraft destroyed, with 45 IAF aircraft lost. The IAF had however, flown over 7000 combat sorties on both East and West fronts and its overall sortie rate numbered over 15000. Comparatively, the PAF was flying fewer sorties by the day fearing loss of planes. Towards the end of the war, IAF's transport planes dropped leaflets over Dhaka urging the Pakistani forces to surrender; East Pakistani sources note that as the leaflets floated down, the morale of the Pakistani troops sunk.^[6]

Operation Meghdoot 1984

Main articles: Operation Meghdoot

Operation Meghdoot was the name given to the preemptive strike launched by the Indian Military to capture most of the Siachen Glacier, in the disputed Kashmir region. Launched on April 13, 1984, this military operation was unique as it was the first assault launched in the world's highest battlefield. The military action was quite successful as Indian troops managed to gain two-thirds of the glacier with the rest remaining under Pakistani control.

Operation Cactus 1988

Main articles: Operation Cactus

In November 1988, the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) comprising about 200 secessionists invaded Maldives. At the request of the President of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Indian Armed Forces with assistance of R&AW launched a military campaign to restore government rule in 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 2,000 kilometres (1,240 mi) 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, labelled ''Operation Cactus'', also involved the Indian Navy.

Kargil 1999

HUD/VTR still showing the R-60 streaking towards the Atlantique in its final moments.

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 soldiers and also carried out air assaults against enemy forces in Kashmir. 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.^[7] 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.

Atlantique Incident

Main articles: Atlantique Incident

On August 10 1999, a Pakistan Navy French-built naval Breguet Atlantic was flying over the Rann of Kutch area and was shot down by two IAF MiG-21 jets killing all 16 aboard.

IAF air staff

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 1430 combat aircraft (2006 figure).
The Officers of the IAF are commissioned in one of the following branches:

★ Flying

★ Engineering

★ Administration

★ Logistics

★ Accounts

★ Education

★ Meteorological

★ Medical & Dental Branch

Rank structure

The highest rank attainable in the IAF is Marshal of the Indian Air Force conferred by the President of India only after exceptional service (Equivalent to Field Marshall in the Indian Army). MIAF Arjan Singh is the only officer to have achieved this rank. The head of the Indian Air Force is the Chief of the Air Staff. The current Air Chief Marshal is Fali Homi Major.

Officer

The various ranks of personnel within the Indian Air Force are listed below in descending order:

★ Marshal of the Air Force

★ 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)

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

Structure of the IAF

The 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.

Commands	HQ Location	Current AOC-in-C
Western Air Command	Subroto Park, New Delhi	Air Marshal Padamjit Singh Ahluwalia^[8]
Eastern Air Command	Shillong, Meghalaya	Air Marshal P K Barbora
Central Air Command	Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh	Air Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik
Southern Air Command	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala	Air Marshal Yeshwant Rao Rane^[9]
South Western Air Command	Gandhinagar, Gujarat	Air Marshal P K Mehra
Training Command	Bangalore, Karnataka	Air Marshal G S Chaudhary
Maintenance Command	Nagpur, Maharashtra	Air Marshal J S Apte

Aerospace Command

The IAF is setting up an aerospace command. This command will have space technology including satellites available to them. This command is said to be utilised by all the three services of the Indian armed forces and also for civilian purposes by ISRO^[10]^[11]

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^[12].

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 Bases

The IAF operates over 60 air bases, with more being built or planned. They are grouped under one of the five Regional Air Commands. In addition, the IAF also operates the Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan.

Western Air Command

The largest Air Command. It operates 16 Air bases from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh
===Eastern Air Command

It operates 15 Air bases in Eastern and North-eastern India.

Central Air Command===
Operates 7 Air Bases in Madhya Pradesh and surrounding states of central India

Southern Air Command

A strategically important Air command, in line with India's latest doctrine of protecting the vital shipping routes. It operates 9 Air bases in South India and 2 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

South Western Air Command

The front line of defence against Pakistan, this important Command operates 12 Forward Air Bases in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

IAF Aircraft

IAF Su-30 MKI
IAF MiG-29
IAF Mirage 2000 Twin Seat
IAF Jaguar
IAF MiG-27
IAF MiG-21 Bison
IAF IL-76 MD refueling two Mirage-2000

Main articles: List of aircraft of the IAF

The Indian Air Force has a strength of 1430 combat aircraft.
Most of the IAF's fighter jets are of French, Soviet/Russian and British origin, with designs by the latter two countries being constructed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under licence. The indigenously-built HAL Tejas (formerly Light Combat Aircraft) is expected to enter service by 2010, replacing the MiG-21s in IAF service.
The various types of combat aircraft in the IAF are listed below.

Air superiority aircraft

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (MKI: 'Multifunctional Commercial - Indian') is the IAF's prime air superiority fighter. 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 Limited was given the licence 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 one mid-air refuelling, can go to a distance of 8000 km, making it an effective platform to deliver nuclear weapons. In February, 2007 India ordered 40 additional Su-30MKI combat aircraft.

Multi-role combat aircraft

These are aircraft for strike, offensive support, air defence and superiority purposes. The IAF currently possesses several multi-role fighter jets that perform these functions. Single-seater Mirage 2000s and MiG-29s serve in both strike and defence 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-H is the IAF's prime ground-attack fighter jet while the double seater Mirage 2000-TH can also play the role of an effective interceptor aircraft. 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. 450 multi-role MiG-21 combat aircraft have been serving the IAF for the past two decades. The air force plans to eventually replace its MiG-21s with the indigenously-built LCA HAL Tejas by about 2010.

Strike, attack and offensive support aircraft

Squadrons of Jaguar IS and MiG-27 aircraft serve as the IAF's primary ground strike force. The twin-engine Jaguar IB, with a top speed of Mach 1.3, is capable of carrying nuclear weapons. 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 ordnance, SPPU-22 and SPPU-6 gun pods, and various guided air-to-surface missiles.

Reconnaissance aircraft

Various unmanned aircraft are used for reconnaissance. The IAF used to operate a fleet of MiG-25 (''Foxbat'') R, U reconnaissance aircraft until 2006. The high-speed interceptor aircraft carried 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. The IAF also used the English Electric Canberra aircraft for reconnaissance and photoreconnaissance missions during the Kargil war. The Canberras were originally used as Bombers, and served in that role in the 1971 war. In 2003, the IAF bought 6 IL-78MKI aircraft from Russia.The aircraft's primary role is air-to-air re-fueling.The IAF also has a fleet of 24 IL-76MD aircraft The IAF has ordered 3 IAI Phalcon to be mounted on IL-76. Deliveries start from September 2007.

Unmanned aerial vehicles

The primary role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is to provide aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. However, DRDO, ADA and HAL are developing a range of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles. The IAF currently operates IAI Malat-built Searcher MkII and Heron UAVs. Israel Aircraft Industries and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), India's leading unmanned aerial vehicle research agency are also jointly developing three new UAVs.
UAVs can also be used as a ''target aircraft''. HAL ''Lakshya'', 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 HAL ''Nishant'' Remote Piloted Vehicle (RPV) has also been developed, with an endurance of over 3 hours. The UAV can be used for carrying out ground attacks and aerial surveillance. It will be inducted into the Indian Army by 2007. Another smaller UAV, known as the ''Kapothaka'' is also being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency.

Support helicopters

Aerobatics by Sarang helicopter formation display team.

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-25/35 (''Hind'')

★ Mi-26

★ Mi-17 1V (''Hip-H'')

★ Mi-17 (''Hip-H'')

★ HAL Dhruv

★ Mi-8 (''Hip'')

★ HAL Cheetah

★ HAL Chetak
On October 15, 2006 India agreed to acquire 80 Mi-17 helicopters from the Russian Federation in a deal worth approximately US$662 million.^[13] The new and improved HAL Dhruv, complete with the more powerful Shakti engine and glass cockpit, will be coming on stream in 2007.

Training aircraft

HAL HJT-36.

The Indian Air Force currently operates around 300 MiG-21 aircraft.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 U.S. sanction, following the Pokhran tests, which blocked the delivery of GE F404 engines- a crucial component of the aircraft.
In 2003, the IAF placed an order for 66 Hawk Mk 132 Advanced Jet Trainers 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 HAL HJT-16 Kiran and this aircraft will be replaced with the advanced HJT-36. IAF uses HPT-32 Deepak for basic training.

Aircraft inventory

Combat Aircraft:

|| Multi Role Air Dominance || Su-30MKI || 80 || 0 || 20, 24, 30 || 230 to be acquired in total (90 in knock-down kits and 140 built by HAL)
|-----
| Dassault Mirage 2000 || || Multi Role Air Superiority || Mirage 2000H || 41 || 10 || 1, 7, 9 || To be upgraded.
|-----
| Mikoyan MiG-29 || || Multi Role Air Superiority || MiG-29 || 56 || 8 || 28, 47, 223 || To be upgraded.
|-----
| Sepecat Jaguar ||

|| Ground Attack

Maritime strike || Jaguar IS

Jaguar IM || 78

9 || 30

2 || 5, 14, 16, 27

6 || 20 more ordered.
|-----
| Mikoyan MiG-27 ||

|| Ground Attack || MiG-27 ML || 120 || 11 || 10, 18, 22, 29, 222, TACDE(0.5) || Upgraded
|-----
| Mikoyan MiG-23 || || Ground Attack || MiG-23 BN || 16 || 2 || 6 ||
|-----
| Mikoyan MiG-21 ||

|| Interceptor || MiG-21 Bison

MiG-21Bis

MiG-21 M/MF || 104

72 || 13

9 || 3, 4, 21, 32, 51

15, 23, 26

17, 35 'A', 37,101,108 || To be upgraded
|-----
|}

Helicopters:

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service^[17]
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Squadrons^[17]
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| HAL Dhruv || || utility helicopter || || 30 || 117, 151 || deliveries underway, with Shakti engines and glass cockpit
|-----
| Aérospatiale Alouette III ||

|| utility helicopter || SA 316B Chetak || 92 || 111, 116, 141SSS F, 142SSS F, HTS || 60 built by HAL
|-----
| Aérospatiale Lama ||

|| utility helicopter || SA 315B Cheetah || 24 || 114, 131F, 132F || built by HAL
|-----
| Eurocopter Dauphin || || utility helicopter || SA 365 || 6 || ||
|-----
| Mil Mi-17 || || utility helicopter || Mi-17-1V || 0 || 112 HU || 80 ordered, deliveries underway
|-----
| Mil Mi-8 ||

|| transport helicopter || Mi-8

Mi-17 || 82

52 || 105, 107, 109, 110, 112, 118, 119, 121, 122F

127, 128, 129, 130, 152, 153 ||
|-----
| Mil Mi-24 || || attack helicopter || Mi-35 || 32 || 104, 125 ||
|-----
| Mil Mi-26 || || transport helicopter || || 8 || 126HF ||
|-----
|}

Transport Aircraft:

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service^[19]
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Squadrons^[19]
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Antonov An-32 || || tactical transport || || 94 || 12, 25'B', 33, 43, 48, 49, PTS, TTW ||
|-----
| Avro 748 || || tactical transport || HS 748-100 || 64 || 11, 41 'A', 59, 106 'A', 6 Cmd Flts (2 A/c) ||
|-----
| Boeing 737 || || transport || 737-200 || 3 || Air HQ Flt ||
|-----
| Dornier Do 228 ||

|| tactical transport || Do 228-201 || 28 || 41, TTW, 6 Comm Flts (2 A/c) || built by HAL; 12 more ordered
|-----
| Ilyushin Il-76 ||

|| transport

tanker || Il-76

Il-78MKI || 25

6 || 44, 25 'A'

78 ||

ARP-3 refueling pods from Israel
|-----
| Il-76 Phalcon || / || AWACS || Phalcon || 0 || || 3 to be inducted progressively from July 2008 onwards ^[21]
|-----
| Embraer EMB 135 || || VIP transport || ECJ-135 Legacy || 5 || Air HQ Flt ||
|-----
| Gulfstream III || || VIP transport || || 3 || ||
|-----
|}

Trainers:

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service^[22]
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Squadrons^[23]
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| BAE Hawk || || Trainer || Hawk 132 || 6 || || 66 to be delivered starting 2007
|-----
| HAL HJT-36 Sitara || || Trainer || HJT-32 Sitara || 0 || || 12 to be delivered in 2007
|-----
| HJT-16 Kiran || || Trainer || HJT-16 Kiran || 84 || ||
|-----
| HPT-32 Deepak || || Trainer || HPT-32 Deepak || 70 || ||
|-----
|}

Future Aircraft

Tejas in formation flight.

The Indian Air Force currently operates more than 250 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. Also, they are nearing the end of their service life having been in the IAF for many decades and are being decommissioned at an increasing pace. 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-II nuclear tests, which blocked the delivery of GE F404 engines - a crucial component of the LCA.
The Indian Air Force has a requirement for combat aircraft to replace the MiG-21 in service. The Mirage-2000 were considered as a replacement. However, Dassault announced that it has shut down the assembly line of the Mirage-2000. Hence the IAF included the Mig-29M/M2, Gripen and F-16 in its itenarary of consideration. This was the first time in the IAF's history that an American aircraft was being considered. Later the number of manufacturers was widened to include heavy-weight aircraft like the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and Dassault Rafale. In an interview, the then Air Chief of the IAF M. Shahindra Pal Tyagi admitted to allowing heavy-weight aircraft to compete, "to allow more competition".
The limited series production of the indigenous LCA Tejas aircraft is ongoing at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The aircraft is supposed to get full operational clearance by 2010-12, as the Tejas' development has been accelerated. It is believed that the MRCA's procurement may take a much longer time than Tejas' induction in the IAF, and its subsequent mass production. The air force has issued a Intent (RoI) for procurement of MRCA (Multi Role Combat Aircraft). The following aircraft are participating: Russian MiG-35, French Rafale, European Eurofighter Typhoon, 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-18E/F Super Hornet combat aircraft. 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. Moreover, many analysts feel that the US, whose unpredictable foreign policy might clamp sanctions at any time, cannot be a reliable supplier.
Apart from the 126 multi-role combat aircraft, 180 Su-30MKI air superiority fighters (out of the 230 Su-30MKI fighters ordered, 80 are already in service with the IAF), 220 Light Combat Aircraft, 29 Jaguar combat aircraft, 4 Tu-22M3 bombers, the Indian Air Force has/will sign contracts for 66 BAE Hawk-132 trainers, 80+ combat helicopters, 3 new Long Range UAVs, 8 mid-air refueling planes, 225+ HJT-36 Sitara Intermediate Jet Trainer aircraft and some additional medium-range transport aircraft. Indian Air Force plans to upgrade its fleet of Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 aircraft.^[24] India is considering the purchase of 15 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.

In Development

MCA configuration option.

The IAF will also buy 220 indigenously-built HAL Tejas light combat aircraft. It has already ordered a total of 28 Tejas aircraft. These aircraft are expected to enter service beginning in 2009. 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 September, 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 un-manned 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. However, (as of March 2007) the aircraft is at a very late stage of development without any Indian involvement and an Indo-Russian pact on building a fifth-generation fighter has only recently been agreed^[25] . Thus, a fifth-generation fighter aircraft project could still be a project outside the PAK FA frame. An official project name has not been assigned to this possible Indo-Russian fifth-generation fighter aircraft development programme as of March, 2007.
India is also planning to construct a fifth generation aircraft called 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 Indo-Russian Multirole Transport Aircraft, which will replace the IAF's ageing fleet of Antonov An-32s.

Weapons

Air to Air Missiles

★ Vympel R-60 (AA-8 Aphid)

★ Matra Magic 2

★ Matra Super 530

★ Vympel R-27 (AA-10 Alamos)

★ Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer)

★ Vympel R-77 (AA-12 Adder)

★ DRDO Astra- Under development.

Air to Surface Missiles

★ Zvezda-Strela Kh-25 (AS-10 Karen)

★ Aerospatiale AS-30L

★ Hawker-Matra Martel Missile

★ Kolomna Machine Design Bureau 9K114 Shturm (AT-6 Spiral)

★ Molniya Design Bureau Kh-29 (AS-14 Kedge)

★ Zveda Kh-31 (AS-17 Krypton)

★ BAe Sea Eagle

★ Raduga Kh-59M (AS-18 Kazoo)

★ DRDO- NPO Mashinostroeyenia Brahmos- Air launched version under Development

Surface to Air Missiles

★ SA-3

★ SA-8

★ SA-16 Igla MANPAD System

★ Akash- Under Trials

★ Trishul- Under Trials

★ SPYDER (Python-5 & Derby Missiles)
The IAF has initiated the process to induct the Akash and Trishul surface-to-air missiles developed as a part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.^[26] The Indian Air Force will also introduce 18 SPYDER air defence systems.^[27]

Surface to Surface Missiles

★ Agni-I (A-1)

★ Agni-II (A-2)

★ Agni-IIAT (A-2AT)

★ Agni-III

★ Agni-IV (Under Development)

★ SS-150/Prithvi-I

★ SS-250/Prithvi-II

★ SS-350/Prithvi-III

★ BrahMos

In Fiction

★ Sainyam - A Malayalam movie starring Mammooty as Capt. Eshwar and Mukesh. The film was shot in Hyderabad based Indian Air Force Academy.

★ Vijeta - A Hindhi film is also based on IAF.AMRISH PURI played the role of a flamboyant officer who trains pilots Chief Instructor Verghese.

Gallery

References

Videos

★ Webcast of Indian Air Force Day Parade 2006 ( PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATION )

★ Indo-Russian Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA)

★ IAF Jaguar packs more firepower @ IBNlive.com

★ IAF high on spirit of competition @ IBNlive.com

External links

★ Official website of The Indian Air Force

★ Indian Air Force on bharat-rakshak.com

★ Latest Indian Air Force Related News Updates

★ Global Security article on Indo-Pakistani Wars

★ Indian Air Force on Frontier India Journal

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