Indian Air Force

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The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the airforce 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 India in World War II. 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. The strength Official website

History Indian Air Force's No.1 Squadron came into being on April 1 1933. Initially, the IAF consisted of five Indian pilots, one Royal Air Force Commanding officer and four Westland Aircraft.

World War II (1939-1945) During World War II, the IAF played an instrumental role in thwarting the advance of the Imperial Japan in Myanmar, where its first air strike was on the Japanese military base in Rakhine State. 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 United States built Vultee A-31 Vengeance and the United Kingdom Hawker Hurricane and Westland Lysander, were added to its fleet.

In recognition of the services rendered by the IAF, George VI of the United Kingdom conferred the Prefix (linguistics) "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 During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the IAF conducted a Paratrooper operation from New Delhi, then known as Willingdon Airfield, to Srinagar airfield at 09:30 hours Indian Standard Time 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 Democratic Republic 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 English Electric 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-119 Flying Boxcar transport aircraft to its fleet.

Second Kashmir War 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 IAF Combat Kills, 1965 war, 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) .After the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the IAF underwent a series of changes. In 1966, the Para Commandos (India) 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 speed. 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 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 Pakistan Air Force 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 Battle of Boyra. December 3 saw the formal declaration of war following massive, but Operation Chengiz Khan 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 East Pakistan Operations 1971 for the advancing Indian army in East Pakistan. IAF also assisted the Indian Navy in its operations against the Pakistani Navy and Pakistan Paramilitary Forces in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. In the west, the air force destroyed 50 tanks and 40 Armoured personnel carrier 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. Strategic Affairs, When lightning strikes As the IAF achieved complete air superiority over the eastern wing of Pakistan within a few days, Bangladesh: Out of War, a Nation Is Born Dec. 20, 1971 TIME 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 IAF Combat Kills, 1971 war 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. Air aspect of the Liberation War 1971 by Air Cdre Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury (Retd)

Operation Meghdoot 1984 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 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 /VTR still showing the Molniya 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 Pakistan Air Force. 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. PAF Combat.com 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 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 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_Air_Force#India conferred by the President of India only after exceptional service (Equivalent to Field Marshal (India)). 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 (India). 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#India
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 (rank) (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)

) as its fin flash.

Airmen During its formation, the rank structure of airmen was based on the United Kingdom model. Over the years the rank structure has seen significant changes.

Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
Sergeant
Corporal
Leading Aircraftman
Aircraftsman

Structure of the IAF The head of the Indian Air Force, Chief of the Air Staff (India), 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 Command (military formation). Each Command is headed by a Air Officer Commanding in the rank of Air Marshal.{] ||Subroto Park, New Delhi ] ||Shillong, Meghalaya ] ||Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh ] || Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala ] ||Gandhinagar, Gujarat ] ||Bangalore, Karnataka ] ||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 India in aerospace defence plan.

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 Indian Air Force. Wings and FBSUs. Bharat-rakshak.com.

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, India 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 {|align=right||-||-||-||-||-||-||}

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 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 number 2.35) and has a service ceiling of 17,500 metres. The aircraft, with one mid-air refueling, can travel as far as 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 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 remaining 250 or so MiG-21s with the indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft HAL Tejas by about 2010.

Strike, attack and offensive support aircraft Squadrons of SEPECAT Jaguar and MiG-27 aircraft serve as the IAF's primary ground strike force. The twin-engine SEPECAT Jaguar, with a top speed of Mach 1.3, is capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The IAF currently possess 100 SEPECAT Jaguar and 8 maritime strike SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft. The single-seater MiG-27 carries one Gryazev-Shipunov 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 reconnaissance aircraft until 2006. The high-speed interceptor aircraft carried four Bisnovat R-40 air-to-air missiles, two Vympel R-23 and four Molniya R-60 or Vympel R-73. 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-78 aircraft from Russia.The aircraft's primary role is air-to-air re-fueling.The IAF also has a fleet of 24 Il-76 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 Israel Aircraft Industries-built Searcher MkII and IAI Heron UAVs. Israel Aircraft Industries and Aeronautical Development Agency (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, 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 DRDO Nishant UAV (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 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:

Mil Mi-24 (Hind)
Mi-26
Mi-17 (Hip-H)
Mi-17 (Hip-H)
Hindustan Aeronautics HAL Dhruv
Mi-8 (Hip)
Hindustan Aeronautics HAL Cheetah
Hindustan Aeronautics 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. 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 .The Indian Air Force currently operates around 250 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 United States sanction, following the Operation Shakti, which blocked the delivery of GE engines- a crucial component of the aircraft.

In 2003, the IAF placed an order for 66 BAE Hawks 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 and this aircraft will be replaced with the advanced HAL HJT-36. IAF uses Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for basic training.

Aircraft inventory Combat 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 Indian Air Force Fleet Page Bharat-Rakshak.com.! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Trainers Indian Air Force Fleet Page Bharat-Rakshak.com.! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Squadrons Indian Air Force Fleet Page Bharat-Rakshak.com.! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes|-----| Sukhoi Su-30 ] || 80 || 0 || 20, 24, 30 || 230 to be acquired in total (90 in knock-down kits and 140 built by HAL)] || || Multi Role Air Superiority || Mirage 2000H || 41 || 10 || No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force, No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force, 9 || To be upgraded.|-----| Mikoyan MiG-29 ] || || Ground AttackMaritime strike || Jaguar ISJaguar IM || 789 || 302 || 5, 14, 16, 276 || 20 more ordered.|-----| Mikoyan MiG-27 ], 29, 222, TACDE(0.5) || Upgraded|-----| Mikoyan MiG-23 ] || || Interceptor|| MiG-21 BisonMiG-21BisMiG-21 M/MF || 1044872 || 1389 || No. 3 Squadron, Indian Air Force, 4, 21, 32, 5115, 23, 2617, 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 Indian Air Force Fleet Page Bharat-Rakshak.com.! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;" || || utility helicopter || || 30 || 117, 151 || deliveries underway, with Shakti engines and glass cockpit|-----| Aérospatiale Alouette III ] || || utility helicopter || SA 315B Cheetah || 24 || 114, 131F, 132F || built by HAL|-----| Eurocopter Dauphin ] || || utility helicopter || Mi-17-1V || 0 || 112 HU || 80 ordered, deliveries underway|-----| Mil Mi-8 ] || || 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 Indian Air Force Fleet Page Bharat-Rakshak.com.! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Squadrons Indian Air Force Fleet Page Bharat-Rakshak.com.! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes|-----| Antonov An-32 ] || || tactical transport || HS 748-100 || 64 || 11, 41 'A', 59, 106 'A', 6 Cmd Flts (2 A/c) |||-----| Boeing 737 ] || || tactical transport || Do 228-201 || 28 || 41, TTW, 6 Comm Flts (2 A/c) || built by HAL; 12 more ordered|-----| Ilyushin Il-76 ] Phalcon ] || Phalcon || 0 || || 3 to be inducted progressively from July 2008 onwards TOI- IAF plans war doctrine to expand 'strategic reach'|-----| Embraer EMB 135 ] || || 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"World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15 2007.! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"] || || Trainer || Hawk 132 || 6 || || 66 to be delivered starting 2007|-----| HAL HJT-36 Sitara ] Kiran || || Trainer || HJT-16 Kiran || 84 || |||-----| HPT-32 Deepak || || Trainer || HPT-32 Deepak || 70 || |||-----|}

Future Aircraft The Indian Air Force currently operates around 250 MiG-21 aircraft. On account of metal fatigue and dated 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 JAS 39 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-22M 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. The Indian Air Force plans to upgrade its fleet of Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 aircraft. ACM FH Major: IAF strengthening India's standing in international arena India is considering the purchase of 15 C-130 Hercules aircraft.

In Development The IAF will also buy 220 indigenously-built HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. It has already ordered a total of 28 HAL_Tejas aircraft. These aircraft are expected to enter service beginning in 2009. The HAL HJT-36 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. Deliveries of the 66 Hawker Siddeley Hawks are now expected to begin in December, 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 surveillance aircraft in collaboration with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).

In 2001, the Government of India signed a deal with Russia to jointly develop and fund the PAK-FA (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 Mikoyan Project 1.44 was expected to get the contract. However, Sukhoi came up with a more cost-effective aircraft and won. Design work has commenced on Sukhoi's experimental Sukhoi Su-47 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 Mosnews.com . 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 Il-214, 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

S-300
SA-3
SA-8
SA-16 Igla MANPAD System
Akash- Under Trials
Trishul- Limited production possible. Bulk orders replaced by "Maitri" LLQRM (Low Level Quick Reaction Missile) Joint Venture between DRDO and MBDA. http://www.domain-b.com/aero/20070319_develop.htm
SPYDER (Python-5 & Derby Missiles)

The IAF has initiated the process to induct the Akash missile and Trishul missile surface-to-air missiles developed as a part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. IAF initiates process for inducting Akash and Trishul SAM’s The Indian Air Force will also introduce 18 SPYDER air defence systems. SPYDER SAM System for India. India Defence

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 aerobatic team of the Indian Air ForceImage:Image-IAF6a.JPG]'sImage:Su-30 MKI's.jpg|Two Sukhoi Su-30MKI's in flightImage:Indian Air Force Cheetah.png] (rear) and two IAF Mirage 2000 fly with two USAF F-15 (middle of V-formation) during Cope India'04.Image:Ifr1.jpg]s of Saarang helicopter Aerobatics Team at a display

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