The Indian Air Force (IAF) hopes to scale up its combat strength to 42 squadrons by 2022. With just eight years to go, this seems well-nigh impossible. Indeed, the current number of 34 squadrons is likely to plunge as vintage MiG-21 and MiG-27ML fighters are retired. The much delayed deal for 126 Dassault Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) and the yet to be operationalised Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) are responsible for this disturbing prospect. Therefore what better way to work around this deficit than an increasing focus on force multipliers?

Simply put, force multiplication is getting more from less. In military language, it is a combination of attributes or advantages that make a given force more effective than another of comparable size. While multipliers like advanced technology and futuristic systems are usually available for a price, “intangibles” like leadership, morale, training, motivation and innovative tactics are equally important. Something as simple as streamlining maintenance practices or sprucing up the administrative underpinning of warfighting may considerably boost mission rates, thus obtaining greater punch from the same fleet.

A Long Quest

The IAF’s interest in force multipliers is four decades old. However, it intensified after the Doctrine of the IAF was formulated in October 1995 and offensive operations were formally placed on a par with air defence (AD). Planners realised that strike missions needed flight refuelling aircraft (FRA) to extend their reach deep into enemy territory. They required Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft to provide radar cover and guidance to the target as well as precision-guided munitions (PGMs) to enhance accuracy of attack. Electronic warfare (EW) systems would enhance the survivability of the fleet. A modern AD and communications network would facilitate command and control. And should the environment appear too hostile, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) could be dispatched instead, thus eliminating the danger to pilots. So began the IAF’s dedicated quest for these and other force multipliers.

The AWACS Advantage

AWACS offers a decisive advantage especially if potential adversaries do not have them. The IAF’s AWACS fleet can assist strike aircraft like the Jaguar and Mirage 2000 on counter-air and offensive air support missions by guiding them accurately to target and alerting them to emerging threats from enemy interceptors or ground defences. Conversely, AWACS aircraft help thwart enemy airstrikes because intruders can be detected soon after getting airborne, kept under surveillance, and intercepted if necessary. This also avoids wasteful defensive missions like combat air patrol.

In 2004, the Indian Government signed a $1.1 billion deal with Russia and Israel for three AWACS platforms for the IAF. The IAF’s A-50EI consists of the Israeli EL/M-2075 Phalcon radar mounted on an upgraded Russian Ilyushin IL-76TD jet. Phalcon, one of the most advanced surveillance systems, uses an L-Band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. From an altitude of 10 km, it can scan a 400 km radius for airborne and surface targets. It can track 60 targets simultaneously, under all-weather conditions. The positions of detected aircraft can be updated every two to four seconds.

In order to complement the large and expensive A-50EI the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing a basic airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform by modifying three Embraer regional jets with Indian sensors and mission systems. The flight trial phase of the first EMB-145i aircraft by the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) and the IAF’s Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) is currently underway. The system should shortly be handed over to the IAF for acceptance tests and enter operational service next year.

The DRDO has also re-launched its more ambitious mid-size AWACS programme. It is seeking six suitably modified aircraft like the Airbus A330 or Boeing B-767 that can carry a large antenna dome of about 10-metre diameter, enabling radar coverage of up to 400 km. After a prototype is developed in Phase I, there will be an evaluation by a National Review Committee, followed by production of additional AWACS in Phase II. The plan calls for making this indigenous AWACS operational by 2020, a rather optimistic timeframe. However, if and when the project fructifies, it will prove that India’s defence scientists have at last mastered this advanced technology.

The IAF’s long-term plan includes five large AWACS and 15 medium/small AEW&C aircraft plus a string of 30 fixed aerostats along the border by 2020. These ISR assets will be able to support air operations anywhere in the region. So far, however, only four platforms have been inducted and only three are operational. It is hard to see how the figure of 20 platforms by 2020 can be achieved unless the Ministry of Defence expedites procurement. In the meantime China has already deployed 20 surveillance aircraft and is likely to increase the number. Pakistan too has a few AEW&C aircraft and should not find it too difficult to obtain more from China.

Regional Reach

The IAF’s wish to extend its operational reach has long been stymied by the limited range of its combat aircraft. Therefore, six Ilyushin IL-78 FRA were inducted in 2003 and immediately proved their worth. They increased the radius of action of the IAF’s combat fleet, especially the Su-30MKIs, making out-of-area operations feasible. However, these FRA were vastly inadequate considering the combat strength and since 2006 the IAF has been trying to procure more. After some delays, the larger and more capable Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) was selected early last year. The A330 MRTT has a maximum fuel capacity of 1,11,000 kg without additional tanks, plus space for the carriage of 45,000 kg of cargo. Commercial negotiations for the approximately $2 billion deal are in progress. In 2012, it was decided that all future IAF aircraft will have in-flight refuelling capability, which makes the speedy induction of FRA all the more urgent.

In contrast, the modernisation of the IAF’s air transport fleet is well underway, significantly boosting heavy and medium-lift capacity. This, coupled with adequate FRA capability, can transform the IAF into a truly continental force. The last of the IAF’s ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft on order will be delivered by December. A decision to order another six needs to be taken expeditiously since Boeing has announced its intention to cease C-17 production by mid-2015. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin will commence deliveries of six C-130J-30 special operations aircraft from 2017, to add to the IAF’s inventory of five. These too would create a force multiplier effect and lend credibility to the nation’s aspirations of a more extensive regional and international presence.

Unmanned Wonders

When the environment seems too threatening for manned combat aircraft, UAVs are invaluable. The IAF already has small numbers of Heron, Searcher Mark II and Harop purchased from Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). It needs to seriously consider the example of the US, Israel and the UK, where the next few years should see unmanned platforms amounting to perhaps a third of their aerial combat fleet. China too is making dramatic progress in high-end UAV and unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) development and can provide them to Pakistan.

In order to gain self-sufficiency in this critical field, DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is developing the indigenous Rustom-II. This advanced UAV/UCAV will have capabilities comparable to the US Predator and an endurance of 24 hours. However, it is suffering from lack of access to sensor and engine technology and is running behind schedule. It is planned for induction in 2017.

Next in line is the Indian unmanned strike air vehicle (IUSAV) – a tactical stealth aircraft built on the flying wing concept. It will be powered by a turbofan engine, carry weapons internally and deliver laser-guided air-to-surface weapons. The ADE hopes for its first flight by 2015-16 and initial deliveries by 2020.

Penetrative Power

Dwindling numbers apart, the IAF’s combat capability is growing. For instance, a single Rafale squadron will be equivalent to four MiG-21 squadrons due to increased radius of action, higher weapons carriage, precise delivery and superior defensive capability. Force multipliers like AWACS and FRA further enhance this capability. The IAF also knows that negotiating Chinese and Pakistani air defences will be extremely challenging unless its combat aircraft have stealth capability. Advanced ECM too is necessary to degrade the effectiveness of hostile sensors and weapon systems. Precision and standoff delivery capability can multiply the potential of IAF strike aircraft in three ways. First, they minimise exposure of expensive combat aircraft. Second, they maximise mission effectiveness by enhancing accuracy. Third, they make it feasible to miniaturise munitions, thus enabling carriage of more weaponry.

Stealth combined with PGMs is a lethal combination. The stealthy Sukhoi/HAL fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), now under development, will have low vulnerability and correspondingly increased effectiveness. It will also carry many smart weapons. Meanwhile, the IAF is enhancing its limited stock of advanced air-to-air missiles and next-generation PGMs, particularly for its Mirage 2000 fleet. At least 50 per cent of its weapons need to be smart, with different types of guidance.

Space for More

Air wars are won mainly by offensive action. Often this action must extend deep into hostile territory after achieving air dominance. And force multipliers especially ISR and FRA platforms, are a prerequisite.

Besides airborne systems a modern, state-of-the-art, fully secure and reliable network and digital information grid called the Air Force Network (AFNet) was commissioned in 2010. The IAF is also striving to seamlessly integrate as many sensors, platforms and systems as possible into its Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) network. Thus the service is well on the way to becoming a net-centric force.

The IAF can also leverage India’s prowess in space technology to multiply its ISR capability. Following the August 2013 launch of the country’s first exclusively military satellite GSAT-7 for the Indian Navy, the next is earmarked for the IAF. When launched, hopefully around year-end, it will give the IAF a significant edge over the PAF in the military exploitation of space. However, matching China may prove practically impossible because out of about 100 Chinese satellites in orbit today perhaps one-fourth are military.

Indeed, even as the IAF combat fleet shrinks, China and Pakistan are forging ahead in military modernising. With their “all-weather” friendship showing no sign of souring, the IAF must be ready for a putative two-front conflict. Besides, as India’s interests spread outward across the Indian Ocean region and beyond, the IAF’s capabilities need to be enhanced technologically, even though numerical reduction appears inevitable in the short term. Clearly, the credibility and performance of the IAF will rest heavily on its force multipliers.