As the Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrates its 81st anniversary this year, the planning and dedicated effort on the part of both Air Headquarters (Air HQ) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) behind the ongoing programme of transformation is beginning to manifest itself in the latest platforms that are in the induction process or are slated to join the expanding fleet in the near future.

Combat Aircraft

Contract negotiations for the 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) are inching forward despite the innumerable impediments that have continually afflicted the programme since its inception in 2001. Young fighter pilots in the IAF are eagerly looking forward to the successful conclusion of this $20 billion deal that will equip its combat fleet with the fourthgeneration plus swing-role platform from Dassault Aviation of France. Fitted with the latest and most advanced avionics as well as capable of carrying the most sophisticated aerial weapons, the Rafale will indeed be a formidable combat platform in the hands of future combat pilots of the IAF. As per the last estimate by Air HQ, the contract negotiations should be completed by the end of October this year and contract signed soon thereafter. Induction of this platform is expected to begin three years after signing the contract with the first 18 aircraft or nearly a squadron worth, delivered directly by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The remaining 108 aircraft will be manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with transfer of technology (ToT) and deliveries commencing four years after signing of the contract.

The other combat platform to be inducted into the IAF in the near future would be the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and built by HAL. The Minister of Defence A.K. Antony has specified end of 2013 as the deadline for initial operational clearance after which the induction of the aircraft into the IAF will commence. Final operational clearance as mandated by Antony is to be ensured by December 2014. The IAF has placed an order for 40 LCA Tejas Mk I and has indicated a requirement for 124 Mk II version that will be equipped with the more powerful GE F-414 engine. Of these, 68 aircraft are expected to be inducted by the end of the Thirteenth Five Year Plan (2017-22).

The IAF is to leap into the fifth-generation with the induction of the Indo-Russian fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), a two-seat derivative of the Russian T-50 PAK FA. The FGFA is currently under development jointly between HAL and Sukhoi, the Russian aerospace major. The requirement initially indicated by the IAF was to be about 200, but appears to have been revised and the number has apparently been scaled down to 144. India has committed $6 billion for the development of this platform and the total cost of the project is estimated at $30 billion considerably higher than that for the MMRCA contract. The FGFA fleet is expected to be inducted beginning 2020.

The Transport Fleet

In January 2008, the ageing transport fleet of the IAF received the first shot in the arm by way of an agreement with the US Government for procurement of six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, a four-engine highly versatile transport aircraft for $1.06 billion through the foreign military sales (FMS) programme of the US Government. These six aircraft based at Hindon are meant primarily for special operations and operationally have already rendered an excellent account of their attributes in the recent natural calamities and other tasks. Meanwhile, the Indian Government has cleared a proposal by the IAF for the procurement of another six C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at a cost of $1.2 billion. These aircraft are to be based at Panagarh, a new airbase under Eastern Air Command.

Lockheed Martin’s success was followed by an order for 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift aircraft priced at $4.2 billion. Procured once again through the FMS route, three of these gigantic four-engine strategic airlifters have formally been inducted into the IAF on September 2, 2013, and are based at Hindon. Two more aircraft are to be delivered by the year end and another five in 2014. Sanction for another six of these machines is already in place; but firm orders would be placed for delivery in 2015 once the IAF was satisfied with the performance of the fleet. As and when the fleet strength goes up to 16, it will be split into two squadrons, one of which will be based at Panagarh.

Replacement for the An-32 fleet inducted in the early 1980s is planned through a 15 to 20-tonne class twin-jet multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) currently under development, jointly by HAL and the United Aircraft Corporation of Russia. The contract with Russia for the MTA project was concluded in May 2012, according to which the IAF will receive 45 of these aircraft beginning 2018.

A global tender valued at $2.5 billion for the supply of 56 aircraft for the replacement of the medium capacity, twinengine HS-748 Avro fleet procured in the 1960s from the UK, has been floated recently. The tender seeks around eight-tonne payload capacity aircraft and favours collaboration by the selected foreign OEM with an Indian company in the private sector of the Indian aerospace industry. As HAL is already overloaded with commitments, it has been excluded from this scheme. The Alenia Aeronautica C-27J Spartan and the Airbus Military’s C295 could be amongst the likely contenders. Sixteen aircraft will be bought off-the-shelf from the selected vendor and 40 will be built in India, of which the first 16 aircraft will have 30 per cent indigenous content and the remaining 24 will have 60 per cent locally produced components.

Rotary-Wing Fleet

In the regime of the rotary-wing assets, the two major deals that are currently in the final stages of finalisation are for 22 Boeing AH-64D Apache Block III attack helicopters worth $1.4 billion and for 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for $1 billion. The Apache won against the Russian Mil Mi-28 Night Hunter that failed to meet a number of requirements during field evaluation and consequently withdrew from the race. The Chinook was pitted against the much larger Russian Mil Mi-26 which has a maximum take-off weight of 56 tonnes as against 22.6 tonnes of the former. However, as the Chinook can be transported aboard the C-17, an attribute that would facilitate its speedy deployment at distant locations, it was preferred over the Russian competitor.

Force Multipliers

In order to enhance operational capability of the fleet of combat aircraft without increasing numbers, the IAF is in the process of enhancing aerial refuelling capability through the induction of modern aerial tankers. In pursuit of this objective, through an open global tender, the IAF has selected the twin-engine A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft, a new generation aerial tanker from Airbus Military. The A330 MRTT carries 111 tonnes of fuel and 30 tonnes of cargo. Employing the “probeand-drogue” system as opposed to the “flying boom” system, the Airbus A330 MRTT can refuel in-flight aircraft of both Western and Russian origin. Also, as it has just two engines as against four on the IL-78 and employs far superior technology overall. The A330 offers a lower operating and life-cycle cost. Contract negotiations for the $1.5 billion deal for six platforms, is likely to begin in the near future.

To strengthen aerial surveillance capability and provide a gap-free cover, the IAF has procured three Embraer 145 jets for $210 million as the basic platform to serve as an airborne early warning and control system. The radar system with active array antenna unit and related sub-systems for these platforms, redesignated as Embraer 145i are being provided by the Centre for Airborne Systems, a laboratory under the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). These platforms will be inducted into operational service once the developmental flight testing is completed after integration of systems with the airframe.