India’s emergence as a regional power confers upon the nation enhanced responsibilities to safeguard the expanding economic and security interests. It is therefore incumbent on the nation to build up and sustain comprehensive military capability. The Indian Air Force (IAF) which is the spearhead of India’s military power provides the critical attributes of flexibility, swift response, long reach, mobility and precision targeting. The IAF has been periodically upgraded in the last eight decades of its existence and once again it has embarked on a similar exercise. This time, it is a 15-year modernisation programme for the complete revamp of its inventory to enable it to meet the challenges in the future. A sum of $30 billion ( Rs. 1,65,000 crore) has already been invested in procurement contracts during the last five years and by 2022, the IAF hopes to complete about 75 per cent of the modernisation programme. The process has been aptly summed up by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne as “the IAF is witnessing an unprecedented phase of modernisation and capability enhancement”.

Combat Fleet

Despite the induction of the fleet of Su-30MKI fourth-generation air dominance fighters, strength of the combat squadrons in the IAF has been shrinking and as per reports, it is down to 30 squadrons as against a previously authorised strength of 39.5 squadrons. The government has already approved the increase in the strength of squadrons of combat aircraft to 42 in the next ten years and to 45 in the next 20 years. However, with the progressive phasing out of the ageing fleet of Soviet origin and interminable delay in operationalising the Tejas, the strength of the fighter fleet of the IAF is only going to reduce further in the next five years, thus eroding the operation potential to a somewhat precarious level.

To arrest the alarming decline in combat potential, the IAF has undertaken a $5 billion ( Rs. 27,500 crore) mid-life upgrade of the existing MiG-29, Jaguar and the Mirage 2000 fleets. These aircraft will be available for 15 to 20 years after mid-life upgrade. Initially planned for 140 aircraft, the IAF plans to build up the fleet of fourth-generation Su-30MKI in service since 2002, to 272 aircraft, around 14 squadrons. Talks are also under way with Russia and HAL for avionics upgrade of the fleet for it to retain frontline capability.

On March 24 this year, Defence Minister A.K. Antony asked the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) not to extend the date of final operational clearance of indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft beyond 2014. Hopefully, the DRDO will at least make an effort. But the most significant step for the enhancement of combat power of the IAF has been the move to induct 126 i.e. six squadrons of fourth generation medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for which the twin-engine Rafale from Dassault Aviation has been selected as the preferred platform. The ongoing contract negotiations are expected to be completed by mid-2013 and the deal worth over $25 billion ( Rs. 1,37,500 crore), is expected to be sealed by the end of this year. As per the IAF, induction of the Rafale should commence by 2016 with the first 18 jets procured off-the-shelf from the French manufacturer and the remaining 108 to be produced in the country by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The latter would be delivered to the IAF by 2023. The schedule being somewhat sensitive to imponderables, further delay in the future if any, ought not to come as a surprise. The IAF has the option to buy another 63 taking the total numbers to equip nine squadrons.

In an attempt to leap into the fifth generation, in December 2010, a memorandum of understanding for preliminary design of the Indo- Russian fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), a two-seat derivative of Russian PAK FA T-50, was signed between HAL and Russia’s Rosoboronexport and Sukhoi. The contract whose value is expected to touch $30 billion ( Rs. 1,65,000 crore) was for 214 aircraft for the IAF with option for follow-up orders. However, it is understood that the IAF has decided to restrict the number to 144, i.e. around seven squadrons. Certification of the FGFA is scheduled for 2019 and induction thereafter. The FGFA will be manufactured in India by HAL.

With the planned induction of the three types of fourth- and fifth-generation combat aircraft completed, the IAF will have around 30 squadrons of frontline aircraft, yet 12 squadrons short of the authorised strength. This gap will have to be filled with the Tejas Mk II if and when these are available for induction. Plans are afoot to design and develop an indigenous twinengine fourth-generation advanced medium-combat aircraft (AMCA). However, this is still in a conceptual stage.

Transport Fleet

The bulk of the transport fleet of the IAF having been overtaken by obsolescence, the IAF has moved quickly to redeem the situation. The first acquisition through the foreign military sales (FMS) route of the US Government was in 2011 of six four-engine C-130J Super Hercules tactical transport aircraft with a payload capacity of 20 tonnes, from Lockheed Martin of the US for $1.059 billion ( Rs. 5,825 crore). Endowed with the latest technologies, the C-130J Super Hercules has helped enhance Special Operations capability of the Indian armed forces apart from tactical airlift capability of the IAF. Based on the experience so far, the IAF has opted for another six C-130J aircraft to make up a full squadron strength.

As replacement for the ageing fleet of IL-76 aircraft, the government has finalised a $5.8 billion ( Rs. 31,900 crore) deal with the US Government once again through the FMS route, for the supply of ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III four-engine strategic airlift aircraft with a payload capacity of 75 tonnes as against 43 tonnes of the IL-76. The fleet of ten C-17 Globemaster III aircraft will provide the IAF with a quantum leap in strategic reach, heavy-lift capability, high mobility and the means to project power well beyond national borders in the pursuit of economic and security interests. The IAF may procure another six of these mammoth machines.

The IAF is moving ahead with plans to replace the obsolescent fleet of HS-748 Avro twin-engine transport aircraft procured from the UK in the 1960s. The government has already cleared the proposal for the IAF to acquire 56 aircraft for which a sum of $2.4 billion ( Rs. 13,200 crore) has been earmarked. Envisaged to be in the 10-tonne payload category, there are only two aircraft in the global market for the IAF to choose from. These are the Alenia C-27J Spartan from Italy and the CASA C-295 from Airbus Military. Both these are twin-turboprop military transport aircraft and have been used extensively in the recent wars in the Middle East and in Afghanistan. The request for proposal (RFP) is expected to be issued soon. Plans call for 16 aircraft to be procured off-the-shelf and 40 to be assembled in India with the likely involvement of the aerospace industry in the private sector.

The mainstay of the tactical transport fleet of the IAF is the 100 odd AN-32 aircraft acquired from the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s. Currently undergoing avionics upgrade, this fleet will have to be replaced by 2025. To this end, HAL has entered into collaboration with United Aircraft Corporation of Russia to jointly develop a twin-jet military tactical transport aircraft with high-wing and tail-loading arrangement as also a payload capacity of 15 to 20 tonnes. The development cost as per initial estimates has been pegged at $600 million ( Rs. 3,300 crore) shared equally between the two partners. The aircraft will be manufactured by HAL at Kanpur and initially, the IAF proposes to acquire 45 of these machines that have been named as the IL-214. Maiden flight of the aircraft is expected in 2017 with deliveries after certification.

Rotary-Wing Fleet

To replace the MI-35 attack helicopters of Soviet origin through an open tender, the IAF has finally zeroed in on the Apache AH-64D Longbow attack helicopters from Boeing. The IAF proposes to purchase 22 of these machines along with weapons, sensors, spares and training at a total cost of around $1.4 billion ( Rs. 7,700 crore). The package would include 50 General Electric T700-701D engines, 1,350 Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 245 Raytheon Stinger missiles, 12 Lockheed/Northrop Grumman APG-78 fire control radars and 23 Lockheed modernised target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensors. While the government has permitted the Indian Army to procure attack helicopters, the Apache fleet will be operated by the IAF. This fleet will significantly enhance the firepower of the IAF in the tactical battle area. Currently, contract negotiations are in progress.

To replace its ageing fleet of MI-26 heavy-lift helicopters of Soviet origin, the IAF has selected the CH-47F Chinook twin-rotor heavy-lift helicopter from Boeing. The Chinook has a maximum payload capacity of 12.7 tonnes. Contract negotiations are currently under way for the deal for $1 billion ( Rs. 5,500 crore) for 15 machines. This fleet of the Chinook that has been proved in several wars, will revolutionise the heli-lift capabilities of the IAF.

Trainer Fleet

Languishing without a basic trainer since the grounding of the fleet of HPT-32 aircraft in July 2009, the IAF has finally begun to receive the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II single-engine turboprop aircraft, of which 75 have been ordered with the Swiss manufacturer in May 2012 at the cost of $600 million ( Rs. 3,300 crore). As the time frame for delivery of the Indian equivalent that the HAL has been tasked to produce remains shrouded in uncertainty, it is understood that the IAF is not in a position to wait and is planning to order another 37 immediately. The total order could be progressively increased to 180. With the induction of this modern basic trainer, one can expect a qualitative change in pilot training in the IAF.

After a protracted procurement process lasting over two decades, the IAF finally received the full complement of 66 of the BAE Systems Hawk-132 advanced jet trainer for Stage III training for budding fighter pilots. The IAF is to receive another 40 against an order placed in 2011. Tragically, the IAF badly needs an intermediate jet trainer to replace the ageing fleet of HJT-16 Kiran aircraft that were inducted in the 1970s.