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Indian Air Force

January 09, 2023

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third [11] amongst the air forces of the world.[citation needed] Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India's aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal.[12] After India gained independence from United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government's transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.

Indian Air Force
Founded26 January 1950; 72 years ago (1950-01-26) (as current service)

8 October 1932; 90 years ago (1932-10-08) (as Royal Indian Air Force)

Country India
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size170,576 active personnel[1]
140,000 reserve personnel[2]
Approx 1926+ aircraft[3][4]
Part of Indian Armed Forces
HeadquartersIntegrated Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi
Motto(s)नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम् (Sanskrit)
Nabhaḥ Spr̥śaṁ Dīptam (ISO)
transl. "Touch the sky with Glory"[5][6][7] (Taken from Bhagavad Gita)[8]
Colours      
March
Anniversaries8 October (Air Force Day)[9][10]
Engagements
Notable operations
Websiteindianairforce.nic.in
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief President Droupadi Murmu
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari
Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) Air Marshal Sandeep Singh
Notable
commanders
Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Flag
President's Colour
Aircraft flown
AttackJaguar, Eitan, Harop
Electronic
warfare		A-50E/I, DRDO AEW&CS
FighterSu-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas, MiG-29, Mirage 2000, MiG-21
HelicopterCH-47 Chinook, Dhruv, Chetak, Cheetah, Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-26,
Attack helicopterPrachand, Apache AH-64E, Mi-25/35, Rudra
InterceptorMiG 21
ReconnaissanceSearcher II, Heron
TrainerHawk Mk 132, HJT-16 Kiran, Pilatus C-7 Mk II
TransportC-130J, C-17 Globemaster III, CH-47F (I) Chinook, Il-76, An-32, HS 748, Do 228, Boeing 737, ERJ 135, Boeing 777
TankerIl-78 MKI
IAF Trailer for 89th Air Force Day.

Since 1950, the IAF has been involved in four wars with neighbouring Pakistan. Other major operations undertaken by the IAF include Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Cactus and Operation Poomalai. The IAF's mission expands beyond engagement with hostile forces, with the IAF participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

The President of India holds the rank of Supreme Commander of the IAF.[13] As of 1 July 2017, 170,576 personnel are in service with the Indian Air Force.[14][15] The Chief of the Air Staff, an air chief marshal, is a four-star officer and is responsible for the bulk of operational command of the Air Force. There is never more than one serving ACM at any given time in the IAF. The rank of Marshal of the Air Force has been conferred by the President of India on one occasion in history, to Arjan Singh. On 26 January 2002, Singh became the first and so far, only five-star rank officer of the IAF.[16]

Mission

 
Evolution of the IAF roundel over the years:[17]
  1. 1933–1942
  2. 1942–1945
  3. 1947–1950
  4. 1950 – present
 
Indian Air Force flag at India Gate, New Delhi

The IAF's mission is defined by the Armed Forces Act of 1947, the Constitution of India, and the Air Force Act of 1950.[18] It decrees that in the aerial battlespace:

Defence of India and every part there of including preparation for defence and all such acts as may be conducive in times of war to its prosecution and after its termination to effective demobilisation.

 The Primary objective of IAF is to defend the nation and its airspace against Air threats in coordination with Army and Navy.[19]

 The secondary purpose is to assist civil power during natural calamities and internal disturbances.

 The IAF provides close air support to the Indian Army troops in the battlefield and also provides strategic and tactical airlift capabilities.

 IAF also provides strategic air lift or secondary Airlift for the Indian Army.

 The IAF also operates the Integrated Space Cell together with the other two branches of the Indian Armed Forces, the Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

 Rescue of civilians during natural disasters

 Evacuation of Indian nationals from foreign countries in case of instability or other problems

In practice, this is taken as a directive meaning the IAF bears the responsibility of safeguarding Indian airspace and thus furthering national interests in conjunction with the other branches of the armed forces. The IAF provides close air support to the Indian Army troops on the battlefield as well as strategic and tactical airlift capabilities. The Integrated Space Cell is operated by the Indian Armed Forces, the civilian Department of Space, and the Indian Space Research Organisation. By uniting the civilian run space exploration organisations and the military faculty under a single Integrated Space Cell the military is able to efficiently benefit from innovation in the civilian sector of space exploration, and the civilian departments benefit as well.[clarification needed][20][21]

The Indian Air Force, with highly trained crews, pilots, and access to modern military assets provides India with the capacity to provide rapid response evacuation, search-and-rescue (SAR) operations, and delivery of relief supplies to affected areas via cargo aircraft.[22] The IAF provided extensive assistance to relief operations during natural calamities such as the Gujarat cyclone in 1998, the tsunami in 2004, and North India floods in 2013.[22] The IAF has also undertaken relief missions such as Operation Rainbow in Sri Lanka.[22]

History

Main articles: History of the Indian Air Force and Royal Indian Air Force
See also: List of historical aircraft of the Indian Air Force

Formation and early pilots

 
A Westland Wapiti, one of the first aircraft of the Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 in British India as an auxiliary air force[23] of the Royal Air Force. The enactment of the Indian Air Force Act 1932[24][25] stipulated out their auxiliary status and enforced the adoption of the Royal Air Force uniforms, badges, brevets and insignia.[26] On 1 April 1933, the IAF commissioned its first squadron, No.1 Squadron, with four Westland Wapiti biplanes and five Indian pilots. The Indian pilots were led by British RAF Commanding officer Flight Lieutenant (later Air Vice Marshal) Cecil Bouchier.[27]

 
The badge of the Royal Indian Air Force (1932-1950).

World War II (1939–1945)

Main article: India in World War II
 
World War II photo: Arjan Singh (middle) as Flight Lieutenant. He went on to become Marshal of the Air Force

During World War II, the IAF played an instrumental role in halting the advance of the Japanese army in Burma, where the first IAF air strike was executed. The target for this first mission was the Japanese military base in Arakan, after which IAF strike missions continued against the Japanese airbases at Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in northern Thailand.

The IAF was mainly involved in strike, close air support, aerial reconnaissance, bomber escort and pathfinding missions for RAF and USAAF heavy bombers. RAF and IAF pilots would train by flying with their non-native air wings to gain combat experience and communication proficiency. Besides operations in the Burma Theatre IAF pilots participated in air operations in North Africa and Europe.[28]

In addition to the IAF, many native Indians and some 200 Indians resident in Britain volunteered to join the RAF and Women's Auxiliary Air Force. One such volunteer was Sergeant Shailendra Eknath Sukthankar, who served as a navigator with No. 83 Squadron. Sukthankar was commissioned as an officer, and on 14 September 1943, received the DFC. Squadron Leader Sukthankar eventually completed 45 operations, 14 of them on board the RAF Museum's Avro Lancaster R5868. Another volunteer was Assistant Section Officer Noor Inayat Khan a Muslim pacifist and Indian nationalist who joined the WAAF, in November 1940, to fight against Nazism. Noor Khan served bravely as a secret agent with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in France, but was eventually betrayed and captured.[28] Many of these Indian airmen were seconded or transferred to the expanding IAF such as Squadron Leader Mohinder Singh Pujji DFC who led No. 4 Squadron IAF in Burma.

During the war, the IAF experienced a phase of steady expansion. New aircraft added to the fleet included the US-built Vultee Vengeance, Douglas Dakota, the British Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, and Westland Lysander.

In recognition of the valiant service by the IAF, King George VI conferred the prefix "Royal" in 1945. Thereafter the IAF was referred to as the Royal Indian Air Force. In 1950, when India became a republic, the prefix was dropped and it reverted to being the Indian Air Force.[29]

First years of independence (1947–1950)

 
Refugees awaiting evacuation by IAF Dakota on Poonch airstrip, December 1947

After it became independent from the British Empire in 1947, British India was partitioned into the new states of the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. Along the lines of the geographical partition, the assets of the air force were divided between the new countries. India's air force retained the name of the Royal Indian Air Force, but three of the ten operational squadrons and facilities, located within the borders of Pakistan, were transferred to the Royal Pakistan Air Force.[30] The RIAF Roundel was changed to an interim 'Chakra' roundel derived from the Ashoka Chakra.[17]

Around the same time, conflict broke out between them over the control of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir. With Pakistani forces moving into the state, its Maharaja decided to accede to India in order to receive military help.[31] The day after, the Instrument of Accession was signed, the RIAF was called upon to transport troops into the war zone. And this was when a good management of logistics came into help.[31] This led to the eruption of full-scale war between India and Pakistan, though there was no formal declaration of war.[32] During the war, the RIAF did not engage the Pakistan Air Force in air-to-air combat; however, a couple of IAF Hawker Tempest fighters did intercept a Pakistani Douglas DC-3 transport aircraft & tried to shoot it down but the pilot of the DC-3 (Mukhtar Ahmad Dogar) managed to evade the fighters.[33] Other than that, it also provided effective transport and close air support to the Indian troops.[34]

 
An IAF Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber over the Deccan plateau in the early 1950s

When India became a republic in 1950, the prefix 'Royal' was dropped from the Indian Air Force.[35] At the same time, the current IAF roundel was adopted.[17]

Congo crisis and Annexation of Goa (1960–1961)

The IAF saw significant conflict in 1960, when Belgium's 75-year rule over Congo ended abruptly, engulfing the nation in widespread violence and rebellion.[36] The IAF activated No. 5 Squadron, equipped with English Electric Canberra, to support the United Nations Operation in the Congo. The squadron started undertaking operational missions in November.[37] The unit remained there until 1966, when the UN mission ended.[37] Operating from Leopoldville and Kamina, the Canberras soon destroyed the rebel Air Force and provided the UN ground forces with its only long-range air support force.[citation needed]

In late 1961, the Indian government decided to attack the Portuguese colony of Goa after years of disagreement between New Delhi and Lisbon.[38] The Indian Air Force was requested to provide support elements to the ground force in what was called Operation Vijay. Probing flights by some fighters and bombers were carried out from 8–18 December to draw out the Portuguese Air Force, but to no avail.[38] On 18 December, two waves of Canberra bombers bombed the runway of Dabolim airfield taking care not to bomb the Terminals and the ATC tower. Two Portuguese transport aircraft (a Super Constellation and a DC-6) found on the airfield were left alone so that they could be captured intact. However the Portuguese pilots managed to take off the aircraft from the still damaged airfield and made their getaway to Portugal.[38] Hunters attacked the wireless station at Bambolim. Vampires were used to provide air support to the ground forces.[38] In Daman, Mystères were used to strike Portuguese gun positions.[38] Ouragans (called Toofanis in the IAF) bombed the runways at Diu and destroyed the control tower, wireless station and the meteorological station. After the Portuguese surrendered the former colony was integrated into India.[38]

Border disputes and changes in the IAF (1962–1971)

See also: Indo-Pakistani Air War of 1965
 
Pakistani Sabre being shot down in combat by an IAF Gnat in September 1965 as seen from the Indian aircraft during the 1965 War

In 1962, border disagreements between China and India escalated to a war when China mobilised its troops across the Indian border.[39] During the Sino-Indian War, India's military planners failed to deploy and effectively use the IAF against the invading Chinese forces. This resulted in India losing a significant amount of advantage to the Chinese; especially in Jammu and Kashmir.[39]

On 24 April 1965, an Indian Ouragan strayed over the Pakistani border and was forced to land by a Pakistani Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the pilot was returned to India; however, the captured aircraft would be kept by the Pakistan Air Force(PAF) and ended up being displayed at the PAF museum in Peshawar.[40]

Three years after the Sino-Indian conflict, in 1965, Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar, strategy of Pakistan to infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir, and start a rebellion against Indian rule. This came to be known as the Second Kashmir War.[41] This was the first time the IAF actively engaged an enemy air force.[42] However, instead of providing close air support to the Indian Army,[43] the IAF carried out independent raids against PAF bases.[44] These bases were situated deep inside Pakistani territory, making IAF fighters vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire.[45] During the course of the conflict, the PAF enjoyed technological superiority over the IAF and had achieved substantial strategic and tactical advantage due to the suddenness of the attack and advanced state of their air force.[41] The IAF was restrained by the government from retaliating to PAF attacks in the eastern sector while a substantive part of its combat force was deployed there and could not be transferred to the western sector, against the possibility of Chinese intervention. Moreover, international (UN) stipulations and norms did not permit military force to be introduced into the Indian state of J&K beyond what was agreed during the 1949 ceasefire.[41] Despite this, the IAF was able to prevent the PAF from gaining air superiority over conflict zones.[46] The small and nimble IAF Folland Gnats proved effective against the F-86 Sabres of the PAF earning it the nickname "Sabre Slayers".[citation needed] By the time the conflict had ended, the IAF lost 60–70 aircraft, while the PAF lost 43 aircraft.[41] More than 60% of IAF's aircraft losses took place in ground attack missions to enemy ground-fire, since fighter-bomber aircraft would carry out repeated dive attacks on the same target. According to, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh of the Indian Air Force, despite having been qualitatively inferior, IAF achieved air superiority in three days in the 1965 War.[47]

 
HAL HF-24 Maruts flying in formation. These were the first indigenous fighter jet to enter service with the IAF

After the 1965 war, the IAF underwent a series of changes to improve its capabilities. In 1966, the Para Commandos regiment was created.[48] To increase its logistics supply and rescue operations ability, the IAF inducted 72 HS 748s which were built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under licence from Avro.[49] India started to put more stress on indigenous manufacture of fighter aircraft. As a result, HAL HF-24 Marut, designed by the famed German aerospace engineer Kurt Tank,[50] were inducted into the air force. HAL also started developing an improved version of the Folland Gnat, known as HAL Ajeet.[51] At the same time, the IAF also started inducting Mach 2 capable Soviet MiG-21 and Sukhoi Su-7 fighters.[52]

Bangladesh Liberation War (1971)

 
PAF hangar at Dacca airfield after an IAF air attack, December 1971

By late 1971, the intensification of the independence movement in East Pakistan lead to the Bangladesh Liberation War between India and Pakistan.[53] On 22 November 1971, 10 days before the start of a full-scale war, four PAF F-86 Sabre jets attacked Indian and Mukti Bahini positions at Garibpur, near the international border. Two of the four PAF Sabres were shot down and one damaged by the IAF's Folland Gnats.[54] On 3 December, India formally declared war against Pakistan following massive preemptive strikes by the PAF against Indian Air Force installations in Srinagar, Ambala, Sirsa, Halwara and Jodhpur. However, the IAF did not suffer significantly because the leadership had anticipated such a move and precautions were taken.[55] The Indian Air Force was quick to respond to Pakistani air strikes, following which the PAF carried out mostly defensive sorties.[56]

 
IAF attacking enemy rail facilities in West Pakistan, December 1971
 
A pair of MiG-21s during the 1971 war

Within the first two weeks, the IAF had carried out almost 12,000 sorties over East Pakistan and also provided close air support to the advancing Indian Army.[57] IAF also assisted the Indian Navy in its operations against the Pakistani Navy in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. On the western front, the IAF destroyed more than 20 Pakistani tanks,[58] 4 APCs and a supply train during the Battle of Longewala.[59] The IAF undertook strategic bombing of West Pakistan by carrying out raids on oil installations in Karachi, the Mangla Dam and a gas plant in Sindh.[60] Similar strategy was also deployed in East Pakistan and as the IAF achieved complete air superiority on the eastern front, the ordnance factories, runways, and other vital areas of East Pakistan were severely damaged.[61] By the time Pakistani forces surrendered, the IAF destroyed 94 PAF Aircraft[62] The IAF was able to conduct a wide range of missions – troop support; air combat; deep penetration strikes; para-dropping behind enemy lines; feints to draw enemy fighters away from the actual target; bombing; and reconnaissance. In contrast, the Pakistan Air Force, which was solely focused on air combat, was blown out of the subcontinent's skies within the first week of the war. Those PAF aircraft that survived took refuge at Iranian air bases or in concrete bunkers, refusing to offer a fight.[63] Hostilities officially ended at 14:30 GMT on 17 December, after the fall of Dacca on 15 December. India claimed large gains of territory in West Pakistan (although pre-war boundaries were recognised after the war), and the independence of Pakistan's East wing as Bangladesh was confirmed. The IAF had flown over 16,000 sorties[57] on both East and West fronts; including sorties by transport aircraft and helicopters.[57] while the PAF flew about 30 and 2,840. More than 80 per cent of the IAF's sorties were close-support and interdiction, and according to neutral assessments about 45 IAF Aircraft were lost while, Pakistan lost 75 aircraft.[64] Not including any F-6s, Mirage IIIs, or the six Jordanian F-104s which failed to return to their donors. But the imbalance in air losses was explained by the IAF's considerably higher sortie rate, and its emphasis on ground-attack missions. On the ground Pakistan suffered most, with 9,000 killed and 25,000 wounded while India lost 3,000 dead and 12,000 wounded. The loss of armoured vehicles was similarly imbalanced. This represented a major defeat for Pakistan.[65] Towards the end of the war, IAF's transport planes dropped leaflets over Dhaka urging the Pakistani forces to surrender, demoralising Pakistani troops in East Pakistan.[66]

Incidents before Kargil (1984–1988)

In 1984, India launched Operation Meghdoot to capture the Siachen Glacier in the contested Kashmir region.[67] In Op Meghdoot, IAF's Mi-8, Chetak and Cheetah helicopters airlifted hundreds of Indian troops to Siachen.[68] Launched on 13 April 1984, this military operation was unique because of Siachen's inhospitable terrain and climate. The military action was successful, given the fact that under a previous agreement, neither Pakistan nor India had stationed any personnel in the area. With India's successful Operation Meghdoot, it gained control of the Siachen Glacier. India has established control over all of the 70 kilometres (43 mi) long Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers, as well as the three main passes of the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of the glacier—Sia La, Bilafond La, and Gyong La. Pakistan controls the glacial valleys immediately west of the Saltoro Ridge.[69][70] According to the TIME magazine, India gained more than 3,000 square kilometres (1,000 sq mi) of territory because of its military operations in Siachen.[71]

 
IAF An-32s were used to airdrop humanitarian supplies in Operation Poomalai

Following the inability to negotiate an end to the Sri Lankan Civil War, and to provide humanitarian aid through an unarmed convoy of ships,[72] the Indian Government decided to carry out an airdrop of the humanitarian supplies on the evening of 4 June 1987 designated Operation Poomalai (Tamil: Garland) or Eagle Mission 4.[72] Five An-32s escorted by four Mirage 2000 of 7 Sqn AF, 'The Battleaxes', carried out the supply drop which faced no opposition from the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. Another Mirage 2000 orbited 150 km away, acting as an airborne relay of messages to the entire fleet since they would be outside radio range once they descended to low levels. The Mirage 2000 escort formation was led by Wg Cdr Ajit Bhavnani, with Sqn Ldrs Bakshi, NA Moitra and JS Panesar as his team members and Sqn Ldr KG Bewoor as the relay pilot.[72][73] Sri Lanka accused India of "blatant violation of sovereignty".[72] India insisted that it was acting only on humanitarian grounds.[72]

In 1987, the IAF supported the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in northern and eastern Sri Lanka in Operation Pawan. About 70,000 sorties were flown by the IAF's transport and helicopter force in support of nearly 100,000 troops and paramilitary forces without a single aircraft lost or mission aborted.[74] IAF An-32s maintained a continuous air link between air bases in South India and Northern Sri Lanka transporting men, equipment, rations and evacuating casualties.[74] Mi-8s supported the ground forces and also provided air transportation to the Sri Lankan civil administration during the elections.[74] Mi-25s of No. 125 Helicopter Unit were utilised to provide suppressive fire against militant strong points and to interdict coastal and clandestine riverine traffic.[74]

On the night of 3 November 1988, the Indian Air Force mounted special operations to airlift a parachute battalion group from Agra, non-stop over 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) to the remote Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives in response to Maldivian president Gayoom's request for military help against a mercenary invasion in Operation Cactus. The IL-76s of No. 44 Squadron landed at Hulhule at 0030 hours and the Indian paratroopers secured the airfield and restored Government rule at Male within hours.[75] Four Mirage 2000 aircraft of 7 Sqn, led by Wg Cdr AV 'Doc' Vaidya, carried out a show of force early that morning, making low-level passes over the islands.

Kargil War (1999)

On 11 May 1999, the Indian Air Force was called in to provide close air support to the Indian Army at the height of the ongoing Kargil conflict with the use of helicopters.[75] The IAF strike was code named Operation Safed Sagar.[75] The first strikes were launched on 26 May, when the Indian Air Force struck infiltrator positions with fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships.[76] The initial strikes saw MiG-27s carrying out offensive sorties, with MiG-21s and later MiG-29s providing fighter cover.[77] The IAF also deployed its radars and the MiG-29 fighters in vast numbers to keep check on Pakistani military movements across the border.[78] Srinagar Airport was at this time closed to civilian air-traffic and dedicated to the Indian Air Force.[76]

On 27 May, the Indian Air Force suffered its first fatality when it lost a MiG-21 and a MiG-27 in quick succession.[79][80] The following day, while on an offensive sortie, a Mi-17 was shot down by three Stinger missiles and lost its entire crew of four.[77] Following these losses the IAF immediately withdrew helicopters from offensive roles as a measure against the threat of Man-portable air-defence systems (MANPAD). On 30 May, the Mirage 2000s were introduced in offensive capability, as they were deemed better in performance under the high-altitude conditions of the conflict zone. Mirage 2000s were not only better equipped to counter the MANPAD threat compared to the MiGs, but also gave IAF the ability to carry out aerial raids at night.[81] The MiG-29s were used extensively to provide fighter escort to the Mirage 2000.[82] Radar transmissions of Pakistani F-16s were picked up repeatedly, but these aircraft stayed away. The Mirages successfully targeted enemy camps and logistic bases in Kargil and severely disrupted their supply lines.[83] Mirage 2000s were used for strikes on Muntho Dhalo and the heavily defended Tiger Hill and paved the way for their early recapture.[77] At the height of the conflict, the IAF was conducting over forty sorties daily over the Kargil region.[82] By 26 July, the Indian forces had successfully repulsed the Pakistani forces from Kargil.[84]

Post Kargil incidents (1999–present)

Since the late 1990s, the Indian Air Force has been modernising its fleet to counter challenges in the new century. The fleet size of the IAF has decreased to 33 squadrons during this period because of the retirement of older aircraft. Still, India maintains the fourth largest air force in the world. The IAF plans to raise its strength to 42 squadrons.[85] Self-reliance is the main aim that is being pursued by the defence research and manufacturing agencies.

On 10 August 1999, IAF MiG-21s intercepted a Pakistan Navy Breguet Atlantique which was flying over Sir Creek, a disputed territory. The aircraft was shot down killing all 16 Pakistani Navy personnel on board.[86] India claimed that the Atlantic was on a mission to gather information on IAF air defence,[87] a charge emphatically rejected by Pakistan which argued that the unarmed aircraft was on a training mission.[88]

On 2 August 2002, the Indian Air Force bombed Pakistani posts along the Line of Control in the Kel sector, following inputs about Pakistani military buildup near the sector.[89]

On 20 August 2013, the Indian Air Force created a world record by performing the highest landing of a C-130J at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh at the height of 5,065 metres (16,617 ft).[90][91] The medium-lift aircraft will be used to deliver troops, supplies and improve communication networks. The aircraft belonged to the Veiled Vipers squadron based at Hindon Air Force Station.[92]

On 13 July 2014, two MiG-21s were sent from Jodhpur Air Base to investigate a Turkish Airlines aircraft over Jaisalmer when it repeated an identification code, provided by another commercial passenger plane that had already entered Indian airspace before it. The flights were on their way to Mumbai and Delhi, and the planes were later allowed to proceed after their credentials were verified.[93]

2019 Balakot airstrike

Main article: 2019 Balakot airstrike

Following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the 2019 Pulwama attack that was carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) which killed forty servicemen of the Central Reserve Police Force,[94][95] a group of twelve Mirage 2000 fighter planes from the Indian Air Force carried out air strikes on alleged JeM bases in Chakothi and Muzaffarabad in the Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Furthermore, the Mirage 2000s targeted an alleged JeM training camp in Balakot, a town in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan claimed that the Indian aircraft had only dropped bombs in the forest area demolishing pine trees near the Jaba village which is 19 kilometres (12 mi) away from Balakot[96] and Indian officials claimed to bomb and kill a large number of terrorists in the airstrike.[97]

2019 India–Pakistan standoff

Main article: 2019 India–Pakistan standoff

On 27 February 2019, in retaliation for the IAF bombing of an alleged terrorist hideout in Balakot, a group of PAF Mirage-5 and JF-17 fighters allegedly conducted an airstrike against certain ground targets across the Line of Control. They were intercepted by a group of IAF fighters consisting of Su-30MKI and MiG-21 jets. An ensuing dogfight began. According to India, one PAF F-16 was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 piloted by Abhinandan Varthaman, while Pakistan denied use of F-16s in the operation. According to Pakistan, a MiG-21 and a Su30MKI were shot down, while India claims that only the MiG-21 was shot down. Indian officials rejected Pakistani claims of shooting down an Su-30MKI stating that its impossible to hide an aircraft crash as of now in populated area like Kashmir and said its a coverup for the loss of F16.[98][99] While the downed MiG-21's pilot had ejected successfully, he landed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and was captured by the Pakistan military. Before his capture he was assaulted by a few locals. After a couple of days of captivity, the captured pilot was released by Pakistan per Third Geneva convention[100] obligations. While Pakistan denied involvement of any of its F-16 aircraft in the strike, the IAF presented remnants of AMRAAM missiles that are only carried by the F-16s within the PAF as proof of their involvement.[101] Unnamed US officials told Foreign Policy magazine in April 2019 that an audit didn't find any Pakistani F-16s missing.[102] However, this was not confirmed by the United States, which cited it as bilateral matter between US and Pakistan.[103]

Structure

The President of India is the Supreme Commander of all Indian armed forces and by virtue of that fact is the national Commander-in-chief of the Air Force. The Chief of the Air Staff with the rank of Air chief marshal is the Commander

Main article: List of serving air marshals of the Indian Air Force
Post Current Holder
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC[104]
Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, PVSM, AVSM, VM[105]
Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, AVSM, VM[106]
Air Officer in Charge of Administration Air Marshal Krishnaswamy Anantharaman, VSM[107]
Air Officer in Charge of Personnel Air Marshal Suraj Kumar Jha, AVSM[108]
Air Officer in Charge of Maintenance Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, AVSM, VSM[109]
Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal Surat Singh, AVSM, VM, VSM[110]
Director General of Inspection and Flight Safety Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor, AVSM, VM[111]
Director General of Medical Services (Air) Air Marshal Prashant Bharadwaj, AVSM, VSM & Bar,[112]

In January 2002, the government conferred the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force on Arjan Singh making him the first and only Five-star officer with the Indian Air Force and ceremonial chief of the air force.[113]

Commands

The Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and two functional commands. Each Command is headed by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief with the rank of Air Marshal. The purpose of an operational command is to conduct military operations using aircraft within its area of responsibility, whereas the responsibility of functional commands is to maintain combat readiness. Aside from the Training Command at Bangalore, the primary flight training is done at the Air Force Academy (located in Hyderabad), followed by operational training at various other schools. Advanced officer training for command positions is also conducted at the Defence Services Staff College; specialised advanced flight training schools are located at Bidar, Karnataka and Hakimpet, Telangana (also the location for helicopter training). Technical schools are found at a number of other locations.[citation needed]

 
Air Headquarters Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi
Name Headquarters Commander
Central Air Command (CAC) Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, AVSM[114]
Eastern Air Command (EAC) Shillong, Meghalaya Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar, AVSM[115]
Southern Air Command (SAC) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Air Marshal Jonnalagedda Chalapati, AVSM, VSM[116]
South Western Air Command (SWAC) Gandhinagar, Gujarat Air Marshal Vikram Singh, AVSM, VSM[117]
Western Air Command (WAC) New Delhi Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha, AVSM, VSM[118]
Training Command (TC)+ Bangalore, Karnataka Air Marshal Radhakrishnan Radhish, AVSM, VM[119]
Maintenance Command (MC)+ Nagpur, Maharashtra Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, AVSM, VSM[120]

Note: + = Functional Command

Wings

A wing is a formation intermediate between a command and a squadron. It generally consists of two or three IAF squadrons and helicopter units, along with forward base support units (FBSU). 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 fully fledged air bases playing host to various squadrons. In all, about 47 wings and 19 FBSUs make up the IAF.[121][122] Wings are typically commanded by an air commodore.[123]

Stations

Main article: List of Indian Air Force stations

Within each operational command are anywhere from nine to sixteen bases or stations. Smaller than wings, but similarly organised, stations are static units commanded by a group captain.[123] A station typically has one wing and one or two squadrons assigned to it.

Squadrons and units

Squadrons are the field units and formations attached to static locations. Thus, a flying squadron or unit is a sub-unit of an air force station which carries out the primary task of the IAF. A fighter squadron consists of 18 aircraft; all fighter squadrons are headed by a commanding officer with the rank of wing commander.[124] Some transport squadrons and helicopter units are headed by a commanding officer with the rank of group captain.

Flights

Flights are sub-divisions of squadrons, commanded by a squadron leader. Each flight consists of two sections.[125]

Sections

The smallest unit is the section, led by a flight lieutenant. Each section consists of three aircraft.

Within this formation structure, IAF has several service branches for day-to-day operations. They are:[126]

Flying Branch
  • Flying
 Technical Branch
  • Engineering
 Ground Branch
  • Logistics
  • Administration
  • Accounts
  • Education
  • Medical & Dental
  • Meteorological

Garud Commando Force

Main article: Garud Commando Force

The Garud commandos are the special forces of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Their tasks include counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, providing security to IAF's vulnerably located assets and various air force-specific special operations. First conceived in 2002, this unit was officially established on February 6, 2004.[127]

 
Garud Commandos

All Garuds are volunteers who are imparted a 52-week basic training, which includes a three-month probation followed by special operations training, basic airborne training and other warfare and survival skills. The last phase of basic training sees Garuds been deployed to get combat experience. Advanced training follows, which includes specialised weapons training.[127][128]

The mandated tasks of the Garuds include direct action, special reconnaissance, rescuing downed pilots in hostile territory, establishing airbases in hostile territory and providing air-traffic control to these airbases.[129] The Garuds also undertake suppression of enemy air defences and the destruction of other enemy assets such as radars, evaluation of the outcomes of Indian airstrikes and use laser designators to guide Indian airstrikes.[130]

The security of IAF installations and assets are usually performed by the Air Force Police and the Defence Security Corps even though some critical assets are protected by the Garuds.[127]

Integrated Space Cell

Main article: Integrated Space Cell

An Integrated Space Cell, which will be jointly operated by all the three services of the Indian armed forces, the civilian Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been set up to utilise more effectively the country's space-based assets for military purposes.[20][21] This command will leverage space technology including satellites. Unlike an aerospace command, where the air force controls most of its activities, the Integrated Space Cell envisages co-operation and co-ordination between the three services as well as civilian agencies dealing with space.[131]

India currently has 10[132] remote sensing satellites in orbit. Though most are not meant to be dedicated military satellites, some have a spatial resolution of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) or below which can be also used for military applications. Noteworthy satellites include the Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) which has a panchromatic camera (PAN) with a resolution of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in),[133] the RISAT-2 which is capable of imaging in all-weather conditions and has a resolution of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in),[134] the CARTOSAT-2, CARTOSAT-2A[135][136] and CARTOSAT-2B[137] which carries a panchromatic camera which has a resolution of 800 millimetres or 31 inches (black and white only).

Display teams

Main articles: Surya Kiran and Sarang

The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) (Surya Kiran is Sanskrit for Sun Rays) is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force. They were formed in 1996 and are successors to the Thunderbolts.[138] The team has a total of 13 pilots (selected from the fighter stream of the IAF) and operate 9 HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft[138] painted in a "day-glo orange" and white colour scheme. The Surya Kiran team were conferred squadron status in 2006, and presently have the designation of 52 Squadron ("The Sharks").[139] The team is based at the Indian Air Force Station at Bidar.[138] The IAF has begun the process of converting Surya Kirans to BAE Hawks.[140]

Sarang (Sanskrit for Peacock) is the Helicopter Display Team of the Indian Air Force. The team was formed in October 2003 and their first public performance was at the Asian Aerospace Show, Singapore, 2004.[141] The team flies four HAL Dhruvs[142] painted in red and white with a peacock figure at each side of the fuselage. The team is based at the Sulur Air Force Station, Coimbatore.

Personnel

 
IAF officers in uniform
 
French CCE and Indian DPM camouflage which were used by IAF
 
UCP adopted as new camouflage uniform by Indian Air Force in 2022 replacing all older patterns
 
Camouflage uniform of Indian Air Force in 2022

Over the years reliable sources provided notably divergent estimates of the personnel strength of the Indian Air Force after analysing open-source intelligence. In 2006, Anthony Cordesman estimated that strength to be 170,000 in the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) publication "The Asian Conventional Military Balance in 2006".[143] In 2010, James Hackett revised that estimate to an approximate strength of 127,000 active personnel in the IISS publication "Military Balance 2010".[144]

As of 1 July 2017, the Indian Air Force has a sanctioned strength of 12,550 officers (12,404 serving with 146 under strength), and 142,529 airmen (127,172 serving with 15,357 under strength).[145][146]

Rank structure

Main article: Air Force ranks and insignia of India

The rank structure of the Indian Air Force is based on that of the Royal Air Force. The highest rank attainable in the IAF is Marshal of the Indian Air Force, conferred by the President of India after exceptional service during wartime. 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, who holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal.

Officers

Anyone holding Indian citizenship can apply to be an officer in the Air Force as long as they satisfy the eligibility criteria. There are four entry points to become an officer. Male applicants, who are between the ages of 161/2 and 19 and have passed high school graduation, can apply at the Intermediate level.[147] Men and women applicants, who have graduated from college (three-year course) and are between the ages of 18 and 28, can apply at the Graduate level entry.[148] Graduates of engineering colleges can apply at the Engineer level if they are between the ages of 18 and 28 years. The age limit for the flying and ground duty branch is 23 years of age and for technical branch is 28 years of age.[149] After completing a master's degree, men and women between the ages of 18 and 28 years can apply at the Post Graduate level. Post graduate applicants do not qualify for the flying branch. For the technical branch the age limit is 28 years and for the ground duty branch it is 25.[150] At the time of application, all applicants below 25 years of age must be single.[151] The IAF selects candidates for officer training from these applicants. After completion of training, a candidate is commissioned as a Flying Officer.[152]

In May 2022 Abhilasha Barak became the first ever woman combat aviator in the Indian Army[153]

Equivalent ranks of Indian military
Indian Navy Indian Army Indian Air Force
Commissioned ranks
Admiral of
the fleet		 Field marshal Marshal of
the Indian Air Force
Admiral General Air chief marshal
Vice admiral Lieutenant general Air marshal
Rear admiral Major general Air vice marshal
Commodore Brigadier Air commodore
Captain Colonel Group captain
Commander Lieutenant colonel Wing commander
Lieutenant commander Major Squadron leader
Lieutenant Captain Flight lieutenant
Sub lieutenant Lieutenant Flying officer
Junior commissioned ranks
Master chief
petty officer
1st class		 Subedar major[Alt 1] Master warrant officer
Master chief
petty officer
2nd class		 Subedar[Alt 2] Warrant officer
Chief
petty officer		 Naib subedar[Alt 3] Junior warrant officer
Non-commissioned ranks
Petty officer Havildar Sergeant
Leading seaman Naik Corporal
Seaman 1 Lance naik Leading aircraftsman
Seaman 2 Sepoy Aircraftsman
Footnotes
  1. ^ Risaldar major in cavalry and armoured regiments
  2. ^ Risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments
  3. ^ Naib risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments.
    Called jemadar until 1965.


Rank group General/flag officers Field/senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
  Indian Air Force[154]
                      
Marshal of the Indian Air Force Air chief marshal Air marshal Air vice marshal Air commodore Group captain Wing commander Squadron leader Flight lieutenant Flying officer Flight cadet

Airmen

 
An IAF servicemember with uniform, shoulder rank patch and INSAS rifle standing guard at the India Gate memorial in New Delhi

The duty of an airman is to make sure that all the air and ground operations run smoothly. From operating Air Defence systems to fitting missiles, they are involved in all activities of an air base and give support to various technical and non-technical jobs.[155] The airmen of Technical trades are responsible for maintenance, repair and prepare for use the propulsion system of aircraft and other airborne weapon delivery system, Radar, Voice/Data transmission and reception equipment, latest airborne weapon delivery systems, all types of light, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic systems of airborne missiles, aero engines, aircraft fuelling equipment and heavy duty mechanical vehicles, cranes and loading equipment etc.[156] The competent and qualified Airmen from Technical trades also participate in flying as Flight Engineers, Flight Signallers and Flight Gunners. The recruitment of personnel below officer rank is conducted through All India Selection Tests and Recruitment Rallies. All India Selection Tests are conducted among 15 Airmen Selection Centres (ASCs) located all over India. These centres are under the direct functional control of Central Airmen Selection Board (CASB), with administrative control and support by respective commands. The role of CASB is to carry out selection and enrolment of airmen from the Airmen Selection Centres for their respective commands.[155] Candidates initially take a written test at the time of application. Those passing the written test undergo a physical fitness test, an interview conducted in English, and medical examination. Candidates for training are selected from individuals passing the battery of tests, on the basis of their performance. Upon completion of training, an individual becomes an Airman.[155] Some MWOs and WOs are granted honorary commission in the last year of their service as an honorary Flying Officer or Flight Lieutenant before retiring from the service.[155]

 
Airmen marching during Air Force Day celebration
Rank group Junior commissioned officers Non commissioned officer Enlisted
  Indian Air Force[157]
        
     No insignia
Master warrant officer Warrant officer Junior warrant officer Sergeant Corporal Leading aircraftsman Aircraftsman

Honorary officers

Sachin Tendulkar was the first sportsperson and the first civilian without an aviation background to be awarded the honorary rank of group captain by the Indian Air Force.[158]

Non combatants enrolled and civilians

Non combatants enrolled (NCs(E)) were established in British India as personal assistants to the officer class, and are equivalent to the orderly or sahayak of the Indian Army.[citation needed]

Almost all the commands have some percentage of civilian strength which are central government employees. These are regular ranks which are prevalent in ministries. They are usually not posted outside their stations and are employed in administrative and non-technical work.[159][160]

Training and education

Main article: Military academies in India

The Indian Armed Forces have set up numerous military academies across India for training its personnel, such as the National Defence Academy (NDA). Besides the tri-service institutions, the Indian Air Force has a Training Command and several training establishments. While technical and other support staff are trained at various Ground Training Schools, the pilots are trained at the Air Force Academy, Dundigul (located in Hyderabad). The Pilot Training Establishment at Allahabad, the Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore, the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at Bangalore, the Air Force Technical College, Bangalore at Jalahalli, the Tactics and Air Combat and Defence Establishment at Gwalior, and the Paratrooper's Training School at Agra are some of the other training establishments of the IAF.

Aircraft inventory

LCH of the Indian Air Force
Main article: List of active Indian military aircraft
See also: List of historical aircraft of the Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force has aircraft and equipment of Russian (erstwhile Soviet Union), British, French, Israeli, US and Indian origins with Russian aircraft dominating its inventory. HAL produces some of the Russian and British aircraft in India under licence. The exact number of aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force cannot be determined with precision from open sources. Various reliable sources provide notably divergent estimates for a variety of high-visibility aircraft.[citation needed] Flight International estimates there to be around 1,750 aircraft in service with the IAF,[3] while the International Institute for Strategic Studies provides a similar estimate of 1,850 aircraft.[4] Both sources agree there are approximately 900 combat capable (fighter, attack etc.) aircraft in the IAF.[3][4]

Multi-role fighters and strike aircraft

 
Indian Air Force Rafale
  • Dassault Rafale: the latest addition to India's aircraft arsenal; India has signed a deal for 36 Dassault Rafale multirole fighter aircraft. As of June 2022, 36 Rafale fighters are in service with the Indian Air Force.[161]
  • Sukhoi Su-30MKI: the IAF's primary air superiority fighter, with additional air-to-ground (strike) mission capability, is the Sukhoi Su-30MKI. 261 Su-30MKIs are in service.[162]
  • Mikoyan MiG-29: the MiG-29, known as Baaz (Hindi for Hawk), is a dedicated air superiority fighter, constituting the IAF's second line of defence after the Su-30MKI. There are 69 MiG-29s in service, all of which have been recently upgraded to the MiG-29UPG standard, after the decision was made in 2016 to upgrade the remaining 21 MiG-29s to the UPG standard.[163]
  • Dassault Mirage 2000: the Mirage 2000, known as Vajra (Sanskrit for diamond or thunderbolt) in Indian service. The IAF currently operates 49 Mirage 2000Hs and 8 Mirage 2000 TH all of which are currently being upgraded to the Mirage 2000-5 MK2 standard with Indian specific modifications and 2 Mirage 2000-5 MK2 are in service as of March 2015.[164][165] The IAF's Mirage 2000 are scheduled to be phased out by 2030.[166]
 
HAL Tejas
  • HAL Tejas: IAF MiG-21s are to be replaced by domestically built HAL Tejas.[167][168] The first Tejas IAF unit, No. 45 Squadron IAF Flying Daggers, was formed on 1 July 2016, followed by No. 18 Squadron IAF "Flying Bullets" on 27 May 2020.[169] Initially stationed at Bangalore, the first squadron was then to be transferred to its home base in Sulur, Tamil Nadu.[170] In February 2021, the Indian Air Force ordered 83 Tejas, including 40 Mark 1, 73 single-seat Mark 1As and 10 two-seat Mark 1 trainers.[171] Total 123 ordered.[172]
  • SEPECAT Jaguar: the Jaguar, known as the Shamsher, serves as the IAF's primary ground attack force.[173] The IAF currently operates 139 Jaguars.[174] The first batch of DARIN-1 Jaguars are now going through a DARIN-3 upgrade being equipped with EL/M-2052 AESA radars, and an improved jamming suite plus new avionics. These aircraft are scheduled to be phased out by 2030.[166]
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21: the MiG-21 serves as an interceptor aircraft in the IAF, which phased out most of its MiG-21s and planned to keep only the 125 aircraft upgraded to the MiG-21 Bison standard.[175] The phase-out date for these interceptors has been postponed several times. Initially set for 2014–2017,[176] it was later postponed to 2019.[177] Current phase-out is scheduled for 2021–2022.[166]

Airborne early warning and control system

 
An AEW&C Embraer ERJ 145

The IAF is currently training crews in the operation of indigenously developed DRDO AEW&CS, conducting the training on Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft. The IAF also operates the EL/W-2090 Phalcon AEW&C incorporated in a Beriev A-50 platform. A total of three such systems are currently in service, with two further potential orders.[178][179][180] The two additional Phalcons are currently in negotiation to settle price differences between Russia and India. India is also going ahead with Project India, an in-house AWACS program to develop and deliver six Phalcon-class AWACS, based on DRDO work on the smaller AEW&CS.

Aerial refuelling

 
An Ilyushin Il-78MKI at RIAT 2007

The IAF currently operates six Ilyushin Il-78MKIs in the aerial refueling (tanker) role.[181][182]

Transport aircraft

For strategic airlift operations, the IAF uses the Ilyushin Il-76, known as Gajraj (Hindi for King Elephant) in Indian service.[183] The IAF operated 17 Il-76s in 2010,[184] which are in the process of being replaced by C-17 Globemaster IIIs.[185][186]

IAF C-130Js are used by special forces for combined Army-Air Force operations.[187] India purchased six C-130Js; however, one crashed at Gwalior on 28 March 2014 while on a training mission, killing all 5 on board and destroying the aircraft.[188][189] The Antonov An-32, known in Indian service as the Sutlej (named after Sutlej River), serves as a medium transport aircraft in the IAF. The aircraft is also used in bombing roles and paradropping operations.[190] The IAF currently operates 105 An-32s, all of which are being upgraded.[190] The IAF operates 53 Dornier 228 to fulfil its light transport duties.[191][192] The IAF also operates Boeing 737s[193] and Embraer ECJ-135 Legacy aircraft[194] as VIP transports and passenger airliners for troops. Other VIP transport aircraft are used for both the Indian President and Prime Minister under the call sign Air India One.[195]

The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 once formed the backbone of the IAF's transport fleet, but are now used mainly for training and communication duties.[196] A replacement is under consideration.[197]

Trainer aircraft

The HAL HPT-32 Deepak is IAF's basic flight training aircraft for cadets.[198] The HPT-32 was grounded in July 2009 following a crash that killed two senior flight instructors,[199] but was revived in May 2010[199] and is to be fitted with a parachute recovery system (PRS) to enhance survivability during an emergency in the air and to bring the trainer down safely.[199] The HPT-32 is to be phased out soon.[199] The HPT 32 has been replaced by Pilatus, a Swiss aircraft. The IAF uses the HAL HJT-16 Kiran mk.I for intermediate flight training of cadets, while the HJT-16 Kiran mk.II provides advanced flight and weapons training.[200][201] The HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 is also operated by the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) of the IAF.[202] The Kiran is to be replaced by the HAL HJT-36 Sitara.[203] The BAE Hawk Mk 132 serves as an advanced jet trainer in the IAF and is progressively replacing the Kiran Mk.II. The IAF has begun the process of converting the Surya Kiran display team to Hawks.[140] A total of 106 BAE Hawk trainers have been ordered by the IAF of which 39 have entered service as of July 2010.[204] IAF also ordered 72 Pipistrel Virus SW 80 microlight aircraft for basic training purpose.[205][206]

Helicopters

The HAL Dhruv serves primarily as a light utility helicopter in the IAF. In addition to transport and utility roles, newer Dhruvs are also used as attack helicopters.[207] Four Dhruvs are also operated by the Indian Air Force Sarang Helicopter Display Team.[142] The HAL Chetak is a light utility helicopter and is used primarily for training, rescue and light transport roles in the IAF.[208] The HAL Chetak is being gradually replaced by HAL Dhruv.[208] The HAL Cheetah is a light utility helicopter used for high altitude operations. It is used for both transport and search-and-rescue missions in the IAF.[209]

The Mil Mi-8 and the Mil Mi-17, Mi-17 1V and Mi-17V 5 are operated by the IAF for medium lift strategic and utility roles. The Mi-8 is being progressively replaced by the Mi-17 series of helicopters.[210][211] The IAF has ordered 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, 68 HAL Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), 35 HAL Rudra attack helicopters, 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters and 150 Mi-17V-5s to replace and augment its existing fleet of Mi-8s, Mi-17s, and Mi-24s.[212] The Mil Mi-26 serves as a heavy lift helicopter in the IAF. It can also be used to transport troops or as a flying ambulance. The IAF currently operates three Mi-26s.[213]

The Mil Mi-35 serves primarily as an attack helicopter in the IAF. The Mil Mi-35 can also act as a low-capacity troop transport. The IAF currently operates two squadrons (No. 104 Firebirds and No. 125 Gladiators) of Mi-25/35s.[214]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The IAF currently uses the IAI Searcher II[215] and IAI Heron[216] for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes. The IAI Harpy serves as an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) which is designed to attack radar systems.[217] The IAF also operates the DRDO Lakshya which serves as realistic towed aerial sub-targets for live fire training.[218]

Land-based missile systems

Surface-To-Air Missiles

The air force operates twenty-five squadrons of S-125 Pechora, six squadrons of 9K33 Osa-AK, ten flights of 9K38 Igla-1, thirteen squadrons of Akash[219] along with eighteen squadron of SPYDER for air defence.[220][221][222] Two squadrons of Akash were on ordered.[223] IAF and Indian Army has both placed the order of 1,000 kit of MRSAM.[224][225]

Ballistic missiles

The IAF currently operates the Prithvi-II short-range ballistic missile (SRBM). The Prithvi-II is an IAF-specific variant of the Prithvi ballistic missile.[226]

Future

Main article: Future of the Indian Air Force

The number of aircraft in the IAF has been decreasing from the late 1990s due to the retirement of older aircraft and several crashes. To deal with the depletion of force levels, the IAF has started to modernise its fleet. This includes both the upgrade of existing aircraft, equipment and infrastructure as well as induction of new aircraft and equipment, both indigenous and imported. As new aircraft enter service and numbers recover, the IAF plans to have a fleet of 42 squadrons.[227]

Expected future acquisitions

Single-engined fighter

On 3 January 2017, Minister of Defence Manohar Parrikar addressed a media conference and announced plans for a competition to select a Strategic Partner to deliver "... 200 new single engine fighters to be made in India, which will easily cost around (USD)$45 million apiece without weaponry" with an expectation that Lockheed Martin (USA) and Saab (Sweden) will pitch the F-16 Block 70 and Gripen, respectively. An MoD official said that a global tender will be put to market in the first quarter of 2018,[228][229] with a private company nominated as the strategic partners production agency followed by a two or more year process to evaluate technical and financial bids and conduct trials, before the final government-to-government deal in 2021. This represents 11 squadrons of aircraft plus several 'attrition' aircraft.[230] India is also planning to set up an assembly line of American Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon Block 70 in Bengaluru. It is not yet confirmed whether IAF will induct these aircraft or not.

In 2018, the defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave the go ahead to scale up the manufacturing of Tejas at HAL and also to export Tejas. She is quoted saying "We are not ditching the LCA. We have not gone for anything instead of Tejas. We are very confident that Tejas Mark II will be a big leap forward to fulfil the single engine fighter requirement of the forces.".[231] IAF committed to buy 201 Mark-II variant of the Tejas taking the total order of Tejas to 324.[232] The government also scrapped the plan to import single engine fighters leading to reduction in reliance on imports thereby strengthening the domestic defence industry.[233]

The IAF also submitted a request for information to international suppliers for a stealth unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV)[234]

Current acquisitions

The IAF has placed orders for 123 HAL Tejas comprising 40 Mark 1, 73 Mark 1A fighters and 10 Mark 1 trainers,[235] 36 Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters,[236] 106 basic trainer aircraft HAL HTT-40, 112 Pilatus PC-7MkII basic trainers,[237][238] 72 HAL HJT-36 Sitara trainers,[140] 65 HAL Light Combat Helicopters,[239] 6 Airbus A330 MRTT,[240] 56 EADS CASA C-295 aircraft [241] and IAI Harop UCAVs.[217][242]

DRDO and HAL projects

 
HAL TEDBF, a twin engine based multirole combat aircraft
 
HAL Tejas Mk2, a single seater, multirole combat aircraft

Indian defence company HAL and Defense Research Organization DRDO are developing several aircraft for the IAF such as the HAL Tejas Mk2,[167][168] HAL TEDBF (naval aircraft),[243] HAL AMCA (5th generation aircraft),[244] DRDO AEW&CS (revived from the Airavat Project),[245] NAL Saras,[246] HAL HJT-36 Sitara,[247] HAL HTT-40, HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH),[248] DRDO Rustom[249] and DRDO Ghatak UCAV.[250] DRDO has developed the Akash missile system for the IAF[251][252] and also developed the Prithvi II ballistic missile.[253]

HAL is also close to develop its own fifth generation fighter aircraft HAL AMCA which will be inducted by 2028. DRDO has entered in a joint venture with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop the Barak 8 SAM.[254] Akash-NG is also being developed by DRDO which will be the same range of Barak 8.[255] DRDO is developing the air-launched version of the BrahMos cruise missile in a joint venture with Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia. DRDO has now successfully developed the nuclear capable Nirbhay cruise missile.[256]

DRDO and HAL has also engaged in the unmanned combat system. According to this, HAL will develop the whole family of unmanned aircraft by the end of 2024–25[257][258]

Network-centric warfare

The Air Force Network (AFNET), a robust digital information grid that enabled quick and accurate threat responses, was launched in 2010, helping the IAF become a truly network-centric air force. AFNET is a secure communication network linking command and control centres with offensive aircraft, sensor platforms and ground missile batteries. Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), an automated system for Air Defence operations will ride the AFNet backbone integrating ground and airborne sensors, weapon systems and command and control nodes. Subsequent integration with civil radar and other networks shall provide an integrated Air Situation Picture, and reportedly acts as a force multiplier for intelligence analysis, mission control, and support activities like maintenance and logistics. The design features multiple layers of security measures, including encryption and intrusion prevention technologies, to hinder and deter espionage efforts.[259]

See also

References

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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indian Air Force.
  • Official website of The Indian Air Force
  • 1965, IAF Claimed its First Air-to-Air Kill documentary published by IAF
  • Indian Air Force on bharat-rakshak.com
  • Designators Batches of Indian Air Force 11 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine

January 09, 2023
indian, force, indian, armed, forces, complement, personnel, aircraft, assets, ranks, third, amongst, forces, world, citation, needed, primary, mission, secure, indian, airspace, conduct, aerial, warfare, during, armed, conflict, officially, established, octob. The Indian Air Force IAF is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third 11 amongst the air forces of the world citation needed Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India s aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal 12 After India gained independence from United Kingdom in 1947 the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India With the government s transition to a Republic in 1950 the prefix Royal was removed Indian Air ForceBadge of the Indian Air ForceFounded26 January 1950 72 years ago 1950 01 26 as current service 8 October 1932 90 years ago 1932 10 08 as Royal Indian Air Force Country IndiaTypeAir forceRoleAerial warfareSize170 576 active personnel 1 140 000 reserve personnel 2 Approx 1926 aircraft 3 4 Part ofIndian Armed ForcesHeadquartersIntegrated Defence Headquarters Ministry of Defence New DelhiMotto s नभ स प श द प तम Sanskrit Nabhaḥ Spr saṁ Diptam ISO transl Touch the sky with Glory 5 6 7 Taken from Bhagavad Gita 8 Colours MarchQuick Desh Pukare Jab Sab Ko help info When the nation calls Slow Vayu Sena Nishan help info The Air Force Emblem Anniversaries8 October Air Force Day 9 10 EngagementsNotable operations World War IIIndo Pakistani War of 1947Congo CrisisOperation VijayIndo Pakistani War of 1965Operation Cactus LillyBattle of BoyraBangladesh Liberation WarOperation MeghdootOperation PoomalaiOperation PawanOperation CactusKargil WarPakistan Navy Atlantic shootdown2019 Balakot airstrikeIndia Pakistan border skirmishes 2019 2020 2021 China India skirmishesOperation GangaWebsiteindianairforce wbr nic wbr inCommandersCommander in ChiefPresident Droupadi MurmuChief of Defence Staff CDS General Anil ChauhanChief of the Air Staff CAS Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram ChaudhariVice Chief of the Air Staff VCAS Air Marshal Sandeep SinghNotablecommandersMarshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal Air Marshal Subroto MukherjeeInsigniaRoundelFin flashFlagPresident s ColourAircraft flownAttackJaguar Eitan HaropElectronicwarfareA 50E I DRDO AEW amp CSFighterSu 30MKI Rafale Tejas MiG 29 Mirage 2000 MiG 21HelicopterCH 47 Chinook Dhruv Chetak Cheetah Mi 8 Mi 17 Mi 26 Attack helicopterPrachand Apache AH 64E Mi 25 35 RudraInterceptorMiG 21ReconnaissanceSearcher II HeronTrainerHawk Mk 132 HJT 16 Kiran Pilatus C 7 Mk IITransportC 130J C 17 Globemaster III CH 47F I Chinook Il 76 An 32 HS 748 Do 228 Boeing 737 ERJ 135 Boeing 777TankerIl 78 MKI source source source source source source source source source source source source IAF Trailer for 89th Air Force Day Since 1950 the IAF has been involved in four wars with neighbouring Pakistan Other major operations undertaken by the IAF include Operation Vijay Operation Meghdoot Operation Cactus and Operation Poomalai The IAF s mission expands beyond engagement with hostile forces with the IAF participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions The President of India holds the rank of Supreme Commander of the IAF 13 As of 1 July 2017 update 170 576 personnel are in service with the Indian Air Force 14 15 The Chief of the Air Staff an air chief marshal is a four star officer and is responsible for the bulk of operational command of the Air Force There is never more than one serving ACM at any given time in the IAF The rank of Marshal of the Air Force has been conferred by the President of India on one occasion in history to Arjan Singh On 26 January 2002 Singh became the first and so far only five star rank officer of the IAF 16 Contents 1 Mission 2 History 2 1 Formation and early pilots 2 2 World War II 1939 1945 2 3 First years of independence 1947 1950 2 4 Congo crisis and Annexation of Goa 1960 1961 2 5 Border disputes and changes in the IAF 1962 1971 2 6 Bangladesh Liberation War 1971 2 7 Incidents before Kargil 1984 1988 2 8 Kargil War 1999 2 9 Post Kargil incidents 1999 present 2 9 1 2019 Balakot airstrike 2 9 2 2019 India Pakistan standoff 3 Structure 3 1 Commands 3 2 Wings 3 3 Stations 3 4 Squadrons and units 3 5 Flights 3 6 Sections 3 7 Garud Commando Force 3 8 Integrated Space Cell 3 9 Display teams 4 Personnel 4 1 Rank structure 4 1 1 Officers 4 1 2 Airmen 4 2 Honorary officers 4 3 Non combatants enrolled and civilians 4 4 Training and education 5 Aircraft inventory 5 1 Multi role fighters and strike aircraft 5 2 Airborne early warning and control system 5 3 Aerial refuelling 5 4 Transport aircraft 5 5 Trainer aircraft 5 6 Helicopters 5 7 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 6 Land based missile systems 6 1 Surface To Air Missiles 6 2 Ballistic missiles 7 Future 7 1 Expected future acquisitions 7 1 1 Single engined fighter 7 2 Current acquisitions 7 3 DRDO and HAL projects 7 4 Network centric warfare 8 See also 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 External linksMission Evolution of the IAF roundel over the years 17 1933 19421942 19451947 19501950 present Indian Air Force flag at India Gate New Delhi The IAF s mission is defined by the Armed Forces Act of 1947 the Constitution of India and the Air Force Act of 1950 18 It decrees that in the aerial battlespace Defence of India and every part there of including preparation for defence and all such acts as may be conducive in times of war to its prosecution and after its termination to effective demobilisation The Primary objective of IAF is to defend the nation and its airspace against Air threats in coordination with Army and Navy 19 The secondary purpose is to assist civil power during natural calamities and internal disturbances The IAF provides close air support to the Indian Army troops in the battlefield and also provides strategic and tactical airlift capabilities IAF also provides strategic air lift or secondary Airlift for the Indian Army The IAF also operates the Integrated Space Cell together with the other two branches of the Indian Armed Forces the Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organization ISRO Rescue of civilians during natural disasters Evacuation of Indian nationals from foreign countries in case of instability or other problemsIn practice this is taken as a directive meaning the IAF bears the responsibility of safeguarding Indian airspace and thus furthering national interests in conjunction with the other branches of the armed forces The IAF provides close air support to the Indian Army troops on the battlefield as well as strategic and tactical airlift capabilities The Integrated Space Cell is operated by the Indian Armed Forces the civilian Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organisation By uniting the civilian run space exploration organisations and the military faculty under a single Integrated Space Cell the military is able to efficiently benefit from innovation in the civilian sector of space exploration and the civilian departments benefit as well clarification needed 20 21 The Indian Air Force with highly trained crews pilots and access to modern military assets provides India with the capacity to provide rapid response evacuation search and rescue SAR operations and delivery of relief supplies to affected areas via cargo aircraft 22 The IAF provided extensive assistance to relief operations during natural calamities such as the Gujarat cyclone in 1998 the tsunami in 2004 and North India floods in 2013 22 The IAF has also undertaken relief missions such as Operation Rainbow in Sri Lanka 22 HistoryMain articles History of the Indian Air Force and Royal Indian Air Force See also List of historical aircraft of the Indian Air Force Formation and early pilots A Westland Wapiti one of the first aircraft of the Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 in British India as an auxiliary air force 23 of the Royal Air Force The enactment of the Indian Air Force Act 1932 24 25 stipulated out their auxiliary status and enforced the adoption of the Royal Air Force uniforms badges brevets and insignia 26 On 1 April 1933 the IAF commissioned its first squadron No 1 Squadron with four Westland Wapiti biplanes and five Indian pilots The Indian pilots were led by British RAF Commanding officer Flight Lieutenant later Air Vice Marshal Cecil Bouchier 27 The badge of the Royal Indian Air Force 1932 1950 World War II 1939 1945 Main article India in World War II World War II photo Arjan Singh middle as Flight Lieutenant He went on to become Marshal of the Air Force During World War II the IAF played an instrumental role in halting the advance of the Japanese army in Burma where the first IAF air strike was executed The target for this first mission was the Japanese military base in Arakan after which IAF strike missions continued against the Japanese airbases at Mae Hong Son Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in northern Thailand The IAF was mainly involved in strike close air support aerial reconnaissance bomber escort and pathfinding missions for RAF and USAAF heavy bombers RAF and IAF pilots would train by flying with their non native air wings to gain combat experience and communication proficiency Besides operations in the Burma Theatre IAF pilots participated in air operations in North Africa and Europe 28 In addition to the IAF many native Indians and some 200 Indians resident in Britain volunteered to join the RAF and Women s Auxiliary Air Force One such volunteer was Sergeant Shailendra Eknath Sukthankar who served as a navigator with No 83 Squadron Sukthankar was commissioned as an officer and on 14 September 1943 received the DFC Squadron Leader Sukthankar eventually completed 45 operations 14 of them on board the RAF Museum s Avro Lancaster R5868 Another volunteer was Assistant Section Officer Noor Inayat Khan a Muslim pacifist and Indian nationalist who joined the WAAF in November 1940 to fight against Nazism Noor Khan served bravely as a secret agent with the Special Operations Executive SOE in France but was eventually betrayed and captured 28 Many of these Indian airmen were seconded or transferred to the expanding IAF such as Squadron Leader Mohinder Singh Pujji DFC who led No 4 Squadron IAF in Burma During the war the IAF experienced a phase of steady expansion New aircraft added to the fleet included the US built Vultee Vengeance Douglas Dakota the British Hawker Hurricane Supermarine Spitfire and Westland Lysander In recognition of the valiant service by the IAF King George VI conferred the prefix Royal in 1945 Thereafter the IAF was referred to as the Royal Indian Air Force In 1950 when India became a republic the prefix was dropped and it reverted to being the Indian Air Force 29 First years of independence 1947 1950 Refugees awaiting evacuation by IAF Dakota on Poonch airstrip December 1947 After it became independent from the British Empire in 1947 British India was partitioned into the new states of the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan Along the lines of the geographical partition the assets of the air force were divided between the new countries India s air force retained the name of the Royal Indian Air Force but three of the ten operational squadrons and facilities located within the borders of Pakistan were transferred to the Royal Pakistan Air Force 30 The RIAF Roundel was changed to an interim Chakra roundel derived from the Ashoka Chakra 17 Around the same time conflict broke out between them over the control of the princely state of Jammu amp Kashmir With Pakistani forces moving into the state its Maharaja decided to accede to India in order to receive military help 31 The day after the Instrument of Accession was signed the RIAF was called upon to transport troops into the war zone And this was when a good management of logistics came into help 31 This led to the eruption of full scale war between India and Pakistan though there was no formal declaration of war 32 During the war the RIAF did not engage the Pakistan Air Force in air to air combat however a couple of IAF Hawker Tempest fighters did intercept a Pakistani Douglas DC 3 transport aircraft amp tried to shoot it down but the pilot of the DC 3 Mukhtar Ahmad Dogar managed to evade the fighters 33 Other than that it also provided effective transport and close air support to the Indian troops 34 An IAF Consolidated B 24 Liberator heavy bomber over the Deccan plateau in the early 1950s When India became a republic in 1950 the prefix Royal was dropped from the Indian Air Force 35 At the same time the current IAF roundel was adopted 17 Congo crisis and Annexation of Goa 1960 1961 The IAF saw significant conflict in 1960 when Belgium s 75 year rule over Congo ended abruptly engulfing the nation in widespread violence and rebellion 36 The IAF activated No 5 Squadron equipped with English Electric Canberra to support the United Nations Operation in the Congo The squadron started undertaking operational missions in November 37 The unit remained there until 1966 when the UN mission ended 37 Operating from Leopoldville and Kamina the Canberras soon destroyed the rebel Air Force and provided the UN ground forces with its only long range air support force citation needed In late 1961 the Indian government decided to attack the Portuguese colony of Goa after years of disagreement between New Delhi and Lisbon 38 The Indian Air Force was requested to provide support elements to the ground force in what was called Operation Vijay Probing flights by some fighters and bombers were carried out from 8 18 December to draw out the Portuguese Air Force but to no avail 38 On 18 December two waves of Canberra bombers bombed the runway of Dabolim airfield taking care not to bomb the Terminals and the ATC tower Two Portuguese transport aircraft a Super Constellation and a DC 6 found on the airfield were left alone so that they could be captured intact However the Portuguese pilots managed to take off the aircraft from the still damaged airfield and made their getaway to Portugal 38 Hunters attacked the wireless station at Bambolim Vampires were used to provide air support to the ground forces 38 In Daman Mysteres were used to strike Portuguese gun positions 38 Ouragans called Toofanis in the IAF bombed the runways at Diu and destroyed the control tower wireless station and the meteorological station After the Portuguese surrendered the former colony was integrated into India 38 Border disputes and changes in the IAF 1962 1971 See also Indo Pakistani Air War of 1965 Pakistani Sabre being shot down in combat by an IAF Gnat in September 1965 as seen from the Indian aircraft during the 1965 War In 1962 border disagreements between China and India escalated to a war when China mobilised its troops across the Indian border 39 During the Sino Indian War India s military planners failed to deploy and effectively use the IAF against the invading Chinese forces This resulted in India losing a significant amount of advantage to the Chinese especially in Jammu and Kashmir 39 On 24 April 1965 an Indian Ouragan strayed over the Pakistani border and was forced to land by a Pakistani Lockheed F 104 Starfighter the pilot was returned to India however the captured aircraft would be kept by the Pakistan Air Force PAF and ended up being displayed at the PAF museum in Peshawar 40 Three years after the Sino Indian conflict in 1965 Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar strategy of Pakistan to infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir and start a rebellion against Indian rule This came to be known as the Second Kashmir War 41 This was the first time the IAF actively engaged an enemy air force 42 However instead of providing close air support to the Indian Army 43 the IAF carried out independent raids against PAF bases 44 These bases were situated deep inside Pakistani territory making IAF fighters vulnerable to anti aircraft fire 45 During the course of the conflict the PAF enjoyed technological superiority over the IAF and had achieved substantial strategic and tactical advantage due to the suddenness of the attack and advanced state of their air force 41 The IAF was restrained by the government from retaliating to PAF attacks in the eastern sector while a substantive part of its combat force was deployed there and could not be transferred to the western sector against the possibility of Chinese intervention Moreover international UN stipulations and norms did not permit military force to be introduced into the Indian state of J amp K beyond what was agreed during the 1949 ceasefire 41 Despite this the IAF was able to prevent the PAF from gaining air superiority over conflict zones 46 The small and nimble IAF Folland Gnats proved effective against the F 86 Sabres of the PAF earning it the nickname Sabre Slayers citation needed By the time the conflict had ended the IAF lost 60 70 aircraft while the PAF lost 43 aircraft 41 More than 60 of IAF s aircraft losses took place in ground attack missions to enemy ground fire since fighter bomber aircraft would carry out repeated dive attacks on the same target According to Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh of the Indian Air Force despite having been qualitatively inferior IAF achieved air superiority in three days in the 1965 War 47 HAL HF 24 Maruts flying in formation These were the first indigenous fighter jet to enter service with the IAF After the 1965 war the IAF underwent a series of changes to improve its capabilities In 1966 the Para Commandos regiment was created 48 To increase its logistics supply and rescue operations ability the IAF inducted 72 HS 748s which were built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL under licence from Avro 49 India started to put more stress on indigenous manufacture of fighter aircraft As a result HAL HF 24 Marut designed by the famed German aerospace engineer Kurt Tank 50 were inducted into the air force HAL also started developing an improved version of the Folland Gnat known as HAL Ajeet 51 At the same time the IAF also started inducting Mach 2 capable Soviet MiG 21 and Sukhoi Su 7 fighters 52 Bangladesh Liberation War 1971 PAF hangar at Dacca airfield after an IAF air attack December 1971 By late 1971 the intensification of the independence movement in East Pakistan lead to the Bangladesh Liberation War between India and Pakistan 53 On 22 November 1971 10 days before the start of a full scale war four PAF F 86 Sabre jets attacked Indian and Mukti Bahini positions at Garibpur near the international border Two of the four PAF Sabres were shot down and one damaged by the IAF s Folland Gnats 54 On 3 December India formally declared war against Pakistan following massive preemptive strikes by the PAF against Indian Air Force installations in Srinagar Ambala Sirsa Halwara and Jodhpur However the IAF did not suffer significantly because the leadership had anticipated such a move and precautions were taken 55 The Indian Air Force was quick to respond to Pakistani air strikes following which the PAF carried out mostly defensive sorties 56 IAF attacking enemy rail facilities in West Pakistan December 1971 A pair of MiG 21s during the 1971 war Within the first two weeks the IAF had carried out almost 12 000 sorties over East Pakistan and also provided close air support to the advancing Indian Army 57 IAF also assisted the Indian Navy in its operations against the Pakistani Navy in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea On the western front the IAF destroyed more than 20 Pakistani tanks 58 4 APCs and a supply train during the Battle of Longewala 59 The IAF undertook strategic bombing of West Pakistan by carrying out raids on oil installations in Karachi the Mangla Dam and a gas plant in Sindh 60 Similar strategy was also deployed in East Pakistan and as the IAF achieved complete air superiority on the eastern front the ordnance factories runways and other vital areas of East Pakistan were severely damaged 61 By the time Pakistani forces surrendered the IAF destroyed 94 PAF Aircraft 62 The IAF was able to conduct a wide range of missions troop support air combat deep penetration strikes para dropping behind enemy lines feints to draw enemy fighters away from the actual target bombing and reconnaissance In contrast the Pakistan Air Force which was solely focused on air combat was blown out of the subcontinent s skies within the first week of the war Those PAF aircraft that survived took refuge at Iranian air bases or in concrete bunkers refusing to offer a fight 63 Hostilities officially ended at 14 30 GMT on 17 December after the fall of Dacca on 15 December India claimed large gains of territory in West Pakistan although pre war boundaries were recognised after the war and the independence of Pakistan s East wing as Bangladesh was confirmed The IAF had flown over 16 000 sorties 57 on both East and West fronts including sorties by transport aircraft and helicopters 57 while the PAF flew about 30 and 2 840 More than 80 per cent of the IAF s sorties were close support and interdiction and according to neutral assessments about 45 IAF Aircraft were lost while Pakistan lost 75 aircraft 64 Not including any F 6s Mirage IIIs or the six Jordanian F 104s which failed to return to their donors But the imbalance in air losses was explained by the IAF s considerably higher sortie rate and its emphasis on ground attack missions On the ground Pakistan suffered most with 9 000 killed and 25 000 wounded while India lost 3 000 dead and 12 000 wounded The loss of armoured vehicles was similarly imbalanced This represented a major defeat for Pakistan 65 Towards the end of the war IAF s transport planes dropped leaflets over Dhaka urging the Pakistani forces to surrender demoralising Pakistani troops in East Pakistan 66 Incidents before Kargil 1984 1988 In 1984 India launched Operation Meghdoot to capture the Siachen Glacier in the contested Kashmir region 67 In Op Meghdoot IAF s Mi 8 Chetak and Cheetah helicopters airlifted hundreds of Indian troops to Siachen 68 Launched on 13 April 1984 this military operation was unique because of Siachen s inhospitable terrain and climate The military action was successful given the fact that under a previous agreement neither Pakistan nor India had stationed any personnel in the area With India s successful Operation Meghdoot it gained control of the Siachen Glacier India has established control over all of the 70 kilometres 43 mi long Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers as well as the three main passes of the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of the glacier Sia La Bilafond La and Gyong La Pakistan controls the glacial valleys immediately west of the Saltoro Ridge 69 70 According to the TIME magazine India gained more than 3 000 square kilometres 1 000 sq mi of territory because of its military operations in Siachen 71 IAF An 32s were used to airdrop humanitarian supplies in Operation Poomalai Following the inability to negotiate an end to the Sri Lankan Civil War and to provide humanitarian aid through an unarmed convoy of ships 72 the Indian Government decided to carry out an airdrop of the humanitarian supplies on the evening of 4 June 1987 designated Operation Poomalai Tamil Garland or Eagle Mission 4 72 Five An 32s escorted by four Mirage 2000 of 7 Sqn AF The Battleaxes carried out the supply drop which faced no opposition from the Sri Lankan Armed Forces Another Mirage 2000 orbited 150 km away acting as an airborne relay of messages to the entire fleet since they would be outside radio range once they descended to low levels The Mirage 2000 escort formation was led by Wg Cdr Ajit Bhavnani with Sqn Ldrs Bakshi NA Moitra and JS Panesar as his team members and Sqn Ldr KG Bewoor as the relay pilot 72 73 Sri Lanka accused India of blatant violation of sovereignty 72 India insisted that it was acting only on humanitarian grounds 72 In 1987 the IAF supported the Indian Peace Keeping Force IPKF in northern and eastern Sri Lanka in Operation Pawan About 70 000 sorties were flown by the IAF s transport and helicopter force in support of nearly 100 000 troops and paramilitary forces without a single aircraft lost or mission aborted 74 IAF An 32s maintained a continuous air link between air bases in South India and Northern Sri Lanka transporting men equipment rations and evacuating casualties 74 Mi 8s supported the ground forces and also provided air transportation to the Sri Lankan civil administration during the elections 74 Mi 25s of No 125 Helicopter Unit were utilised to provide suppressive fire against militant strong points and to interdict coastal and clandestine riverine traffic 74 On the night of 3 November 1988 the Indian Air Force mounted special operations to airlift a parachute battalion group from Agra non stop over 2 000 kilometres 1 200 mi to the remote Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives in response to Maldivian president Gayoom s request for military help against a mercenary invasion in Operation Cactus The IL 76s of No 44 Squadron landed at Hulhule at 0030 hours and the Indian paratroopers secured the airfield and restored Government rule at Male within hours 75 Four Mirage 2000 aircraft of 7 Sqn led by Wg Cdr AV Doc Vaidya carried out a show of force early that morning making low level passes over the islands Kargil War 1999 On 11 May 1999 the Indian Air Force was called in to provide close air support to the Indian Army at the height of the ongoing Kargil conflict with the use of helicopters 75 The IAF strike was code named Operation Safed Sagar 75 The first strikes were launched on 26 May when the Indian Air Force struck infiltrator positions with fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships 76 The initial strikes saw MiG 27s carrying out offensive sorties with MiG 21s and later MiG 29s providing fighter cover 77 The IAF also deployed its radars and the MiG 29 fighters in vast numbers to keep check on Pakistani military movements across the border 78 Srinagar Airport was at this time closed to civilian air traffic and dedicated to the Indian Air Force 76 On 27 May the Indian Air Force suffered its first fatality when it lost a MiG 21 and a MiG 27 in quick succession 79 80 The following day while on an offensive sortie a Mi 17 was shot down by three Stinger missiles and lost its entire crew of four 77 Following these losses the IAF immediately withdrew helicopters from offensive roles as a measure against the threat of Man portable air defence systems MANPAD On 30 May the Mirage 2000s were introduced in offensive capability as they were deemed better in performance under the high altitude conditions of the conflict zone Mirage 2000s were not only better equipped to counter the MANPAD threat compared to the MiGs but also gave IAF the ability to carry out aerial raids at night 81 The MiG 29s were used extensively to provide fighter escort to the Mirage 2000 82 Radar transmissions of Pakistani F 16s were picked up repeatedly but these aircraft stayed away The Mirages successfully targeted enemy camps and logistic bases in Kargil and severely disrupted their supply lines 83 Mirage 2000s were used for strikes on Muntho Dhalo and the heavily defended Tiger Hill and paved the way for their early recapture 77 At the height of the conflict the IAF was conducting over forty sorties daily over the Kargil region 82 By 26 July the Indian forces had successfully repulsed the Pakistani forces from Kargil 84 Post Kargil incidents 1999 present Since the late 1990s the Indian Air Force has been modernising its fleet to counter challenges in the new century The fleet size of the IAF has decreased to 33 squadrons during this period because of the retirement of older aircraft Still India maintains the fourth largest air force in the world The IAF plans to raise its strength to 42 squadrons 85 Self reliance is the main aim that is being pursued by the defence research and manufacturing agencies On 10 August 1999 IAF MiG 21s intercepted a Pakistan Navy Breguet Atlantique which was flying over Sir Creek a disputed territory The aircraft was shot down killing all 16 Pakistani Navy personnel on board 86 India claimed that the Atlantic was on a mission to gather information on IAF air defence 87 a charge emphatically rejected by Pakistan which argued that the unarmed aircraft was on a training mission 88 On 2 August 2002 the Indian Air Force bombed Pakistani posts along the Line of Control in the Kel sector following inputs about Pakistani military buildup near the sector 89 On 20 August 2013 the Indian Air Force created a world record by performing the highest landing of a C 130J at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh at the height of 5 065 metres 16 617 ft 90 91 The medium lift aircraft will be used to deliver troops supplies and improve communication networks The aircraft belonged to the Veiled Vipers squadron based at Hindon Air Force Station 92 On 13 July 2014 two MiG 21s were sent from Jodhpur Air Base to investigate a Turkish Airlines aircraft over Jaisalmer when it repeated an identification code provided by another commercial passenger plane that had already entered Indian airspace before it The flights were on their way to Mumbai and Delhi and the planes were later allowed to proceed after their credentials were verified 93 2019 Balakot airstrike Main article 2019 Balakot airstrike Following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the 2019 Pulwama attack that was carried out by Jaish e Mohammed JeM which killed forty servicemen of the Central Reserve Police Force 94 95 a group of twelve Mirage 2000 fighter planes from the Indian Air Force carried out air strikes on alleged JeM bases in Chakothi and Muzaffarabad in the Pakistan administered Kashmir Furthermore the Mirage 2000s targeted an alleged JeM training camp in Balakot a town in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan claimed that the Indian aircraft had only dropped bombs in the forest area demolishing pine trees near the Jaba village which is 19 kilometres 12 mi away from Balakot 96 and Indian officials claimed to bomb and kill a large number of terrorists in the airstrike 97 2019 India Pakistan standoff Main article 2019 India Pakistan standoff On 27 February 2019 in retaliation for the IAF bombing of an alleged terrorist hideout in Balakot a group of PAF Mirage 5 and JF 17 fighters allegedly conducted an airstrike against certain ground targets across the Line of Control They were intercepted by a group of IAF fighters consisting of Su 30MKI and MiG 21 jets An ensuing dogfight began According to India one PAF F 16 was shot down by an IAF MiG 21 piloted by Abhinandan Varthaman while Pakistan denied use of F 16s in the operation According to Pakistan a MiG 21 and a Su30MKI were shot down while India claims that only the MiG 21 was shot down Indian officials rejected Pakistani claims of shooting down an Su 30MKI stating that its impossible to hide an aircraft crash as of now in populated area like Kashmir and said its a coverup for the loss of F16 98 99 While the downed MiG 21 s pilot had ejected successfully he landed in Pakistan administered Kashmir and was captured by the Pakistan military Before his capture he was assaulted by a few locals After a couple of days of captivity the captured pilot was released by Pakistan per Third Geneva convention 100 obligations While Pakistan denied involvement of any of its F 16 aircraft in the strike the IAF presented remnants of AMRAAM missiles that are only carried by the F 16s within the PAF as proof of their involvement 101 Unnamed US officials told Foreign Policy magazine in April 2019 that an audit didn t find any Pakistani F 16s missing 102 However this was not confirmed by the United States which cited it as bilateral matter between US and Pakistan 103 StructureThe President of India is the Supreme Commander of all Indian armed forces and by virtue of that fact is the national Commander in chief of the Air Force The Chief of the Air Staff with the rank of Air chief marshal is the CommanderMain article List of serving air marshals of the Indian Air Force Post Current HolderChief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari PVSM AVSM VM ADC 104 Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sandeep Singh PVSM AVSM VM 105 Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari AVSM VM 106 Air Officer in Charge of Administration Air Marshal Krishnaswamy Anantharaman VSM 107 Air Officer in Charge of Personnel Air Marshal Suraj Kumar Jha AVSM 108 Air Officer in Charge of Maintenance Air Marshal Vibhas Pande AVSM VSM 109 Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal Surat Singh AVSM VM VSM 110 Director General of Inspection and Flight Safety Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor AVSM VM 111 Director General of Medical Services Air Air Marshal Prashant Bharadwaj AVSM VSM amp Bar 112 In January 2002 the government conferred the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force on Arjan Singh making him the first and only Five star officer with the Indian Air Force and ceremonial chief of the air force 113 Commands The Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and two functional commands Each Command is headed by an Air Officer Commanding in Chief with the rank of Air Marshal The purpose of an operational command is to conduct military operations using aircraft within its area of responsibility whereas the responsibility of functional commands is to maintain combat readiness Aside from the Training Command at Bangalore the primary flight training is done at the Air Force Academy located in Hyderabad followed by operational training at various other schools Advanced officer training for command positions is also conducted at the Defence Services Staff College specialised advanced flight training schools are located at Bidar Karnataka and Hakimpet Telangana also the location for helicopter training Technical schools are found at a number of other locations citation needed Air Headquarters Vayu Bhawan New Delhi Name Headquarters CommanderCentral Air Command CAC Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh AVSM 114 Eastern Air Command EAC Shillong Meghalaya Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar AVSM 115 Southern Air Command SAC Thiruvananthapuram Kerala Air Marshal Jonnalagedda Chalapati AVSM VSM 116 South Western Air Command SWAC Gandhinagar Gujarat Air Marshal Vikram Singh AVSM VSM 117 Western Air Command WAC New Delhi Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha AVSM VSM 118 Training Command TC Bangalore Karnataka Air Marshal Radhakrishnan Radhish AVSM VM 119 Maintenance Command MC Nagpur Maharashtra Air Marshal Vibhas Pande AVSM VSM 120 Note Functional Command Wings A wing is a formation intermediate between a command and a squadron It generally consists of two or three IAF squadrons and helicopter units along with forward base support units FBSU 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 fully fledged air bases playing host to various squadrons In all about 47 wings and 19 FBSUs make up the IAF 121 122 Wings are typically commanded by an air commodore 123 Stations Main article List of Indian Air Force stations Within each operational command are anywhere from nine to sixteen bases or stations Smaller than wings but similarly organised stations are static units commanded by a group captain 123 A station typically has one wing and one or two squadrons assigned to it Squadrons and units Squadrons are the field units and formations attached to static locations Thus a flying squadron or unit is a sub unit of an air force station which carries out the primary task of the IAF A fighter squadron consists of 18 aircraft all fighter squadrons are headed by a commanding officer with the rank of wing commander 124 Some transport squadrons and helicopter units are headed by a commanding officer with the rank of group captain Flights source source source source source source source source Flights are sub divisions of squadrons commanded by a squadron leader Each flight consists of two sections 125 Sections The smallest unit is the section led by a flight lieutenant Each section consists of three aircraft Within this formation structure IAF has several service branches for day to day operations They are 126 Flying Branch Flying Technical Branch Engineering Ground Branch Logistics Administration Accounts Education Medical amp Dental MeteorologicalGarud Commando Force Main article Garud Commando Force The Garud commandos are the special forces of the Indian Air Force IAF Their tasks include counter terrorism hostage rescue providing security to IAF s vulnerably located assets and various air force specific special operations First conceived in 2002 this unit was officially established on February 6 2004 127 Garud Commandos All Garuds are volunteers who are imparted a 52 week basic training which includes a three month probation followed by special operations training basic airborne training and other warfare and survival skills The last phase of basic training sees Garuds been deployed to get combat experience Advanced training follows which includes specialised weapons training 127 128 The mandated tasks of the Garuds include direct action special reconnaissance rescuing downed pilots in hostile territory establishing airbases in hostile territory and providing air traffic control to these airbases 129 The Garuds also undertake suppression of enemy air defences and the destruction of other enemy assets such as radars evaluation of the outcomes of Indian airstrikes and use laser designators to guide Indian airstrikes 130 The security of IAF installations and assets are usually performed by the Air Force Police and the Defence Security Corps even though some critical assets are protected by the Garuds 127 Integrated Space Cell Main article Integrated Space Cell An Integrated Space Cell which will be jointly operated by all the three services of the Indian armed forces the civilian Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO has been set up to utilise more effectively the country s space based assets for military purposes 20 21 This command will leverage space technology including satellites Unlike an aerospace command where the air force controls most of its activities the Integrated Space Cell envisages co operation and co ordination between the three services as well as civilian agencies dealing with space 131 India currently has 10 132 remote sensing satellites in orbit Though most are not meant to be dedicated military satellites some have a spatial resolution of 1 metre 3 ft 3 in or below which can be also used for military applications Noteworthy satellites include the Technology Experiment Satellite TES which has a panchromatic camera PAN with a resolution of 1 metre 3 ft 3 in 133 the RISAT 2 which is capable of imaging in all weather conditions and has a resolution of 1 metre 3 ft 3 in 134 the CARTOSAT 2 CARTOSAT 2A 135 136 and CARTOSAT 2B 137 which carries a panchromatic camera which has a resolution of 800 millimetres or 31 inches black and white only Display teams Main articles Surya Kiran and Sarang Sarang display team The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team SKAT Surya Kiran is Sanskrit for Sun Rays is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force They were formed in 1996 and are successors to the Thunderbolts 138 The team has a total of 13 pilots selected from the fighter stream of the IAF and operate 9 HAL HJT 16 Kiran Mk 2 trainer aircraft 138 painted in a day glo orange and white colour scheme The Surya Kiran team were conferred squadron status in 2006 and presently have the designation of 52 Squadron The Sharks 139 The team is based at the Indian Air Force Station at Bidar 138 The IAF has begun the process of converting Surya Kirans to BAE Hawks 140 Sarang Sanskrit for Peacock is the Helicopter Display Team of the Indian Air Force The team was formed in October 2003 and their first public performance was at the Asian Aerospace Show Singapore 2004 141 The team flies four HAL Dhruvs 142 painted in red and white with a peacock figure at each side of the fuselage The team is based at the Sulur Air Force Station Coimbatore Personnel IAF officers in uniform French CCE and Indian DPM camouflage which were used by IAF UCP adopted as new camouflage uniform by Indian Air Force in 2022 replacing all older patterns Camouflage uniform of Indian Air Force in 2022 Over the years reliable sources provided notably divergent estimates of the personnel strength of the Indian Air Force after analysing open source intelligence In 2006 Anthony Cordesman estimated that strength to be 170 000 in the International Institute for Strategic Studies IISS publication The Asian Conventional Military Balance in 2006 143 In 2010 James Hackett revised that estimate to an approximate strength of 127 000 active personnel in the IISS publication Military Balance 2010 144 As of 1 July 2017 update the Indian Air Force has a sanctioned strength of 12 550 officers 12 404 serving with 146 under strength and 142 529 airmen 127 172 serving with 15 357 under strength 145 146 Rank structure Main article Air Force ranks and insignia of India The rank structure of the Indian Air Force is based on that of the Royal Air Force The highest rank attainable in the IAF is Marshal of the Indian Air Force conferred by the President of India after exceptional service during wartime 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 who holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal Officers Anyone holding Indian citizenship can apply to be an officer in the Air Force as long as they satisfy the eligibility criteria There are four entry points to become an officer Male applicants who are between the ages of 161 2 and 19 and have passed high school graduation can apply at the Intermediate level 147 Men and women applicants who have graduated from college three year course and are between the ages of 18 and 28 can apply at the Graduate level entry 148 Graduates of engineering colleges can apply at the Engineer level if they are between the ages of 18 and 28 years The age limit for the flying and ground duty branch is 23 years of age and for technical branch is 28 years of age 149 After completing a master s degree men and women between the ages of 18 and 28 years can apply at the Post Graduate level Post graduate applicants do not qualify for the flying branch For the technical branch the age limit is 28 years and for the ground duty branch it is 25 150 At the time of application all applicants below 25 years of age must be single 151 The IAF selects candidates for officer training from these applicants After completion of training a candidate is commissioned as a Flying Officer 152 In May 2022 Abhilasha Barak became the first ever woman combat aviator in the Indian Army 153 Equivalent ranks of Indian militaryIndian Navy Indian Army Indian Air ForceCommissioned ranksAdmiral ofthe fleet Field marshal Marshal ofthe Indian Air ForceAdmiral General Air chief marshalVice admiral Lieutenant general Air marshalRear admiral Major general Air vice marshalCommodore Brigadier Air commodoreCaptain Colonel Group captainCommander Lieutenant colonel Wing commanderLieutenant commander Major Squadron leaderLieutenant Captain Flight lieutenantSub lieutenant Lieutenant Flying officerJunior commissioned ranksMaster chiefpetty officer1st class Subedar major Alt 1 Master warrant officerMaster chiefpetty officer2nd class Subedar Alt 2 Warrant officerChiefpetty officer Naib subedar Alt 3 Junior warrant officerNon commissioned ranksPetty officer Havildar SergeantLeading seaman Naik CorporalSeaman 1 Lance naik Leading aircraftsmanSeaman 2 Sepoy AircraftsmanFootnotes Risaldar major in cavalry and armoured regiments Risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments Naib risaldar in cavalry and armoured regiments Called jemadar until 1965 Rank group General flag officers Field senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet Indian Air Force 154 vte Marshal of the Indian Air Force Air chief marshal Air marshal Air vice marshal Air commodore Group captain Wing commander Squadron leader Flight lieutenant Flying officer Flight cadetAirmen An IAF servicemember with uniform shoulder rank patch and INSAS rifle standing guard at the India Gate memorial in New Delhi The duty of an airman is to make sure that all the air and ground operations run smoothly From operating Air Defence systems to fitting missiles they are involved in all activities of an air base and give support to various technical and non technical jobs 155 The airmen of Technical trades are responsible for maintenance repair and prepare for use the propulsion system of aircraft and other airborne weapon delivery system Radar Voice Data transmission and reception equipment latest airborne weapon delivery systems all types of light mechanical hydraulic pneumatic systems of airborne missiles aero engines aircraft fuelling equipment and heavy duty mechanical vehicles cranes and loading equipment etc 156 The competent and qualified Airmen from Technical trades also participate in flying as Flight Engineers Flight Signallers and Flight Gunners The recruitment of personnel below officer rank is conducted through All India Selection Tests and Recruitment Rallies All India Selection Tests are conducted among 15 Airmen Selection Centres ASCs located all over India These centres are under the direct functional control of Central Airmen Selection Board CASB with administrative control and support by respective commands The role of CASB is to carry out selection and enrolment of airmen from the Airmen Selection Centres for their respective commands 155 Candidates initially take a written test at the time of application Those passing the written test undergo a physical fitness test an interview conducted in English and medical examination Candidates for training are selected from individuals passing the battery of tests on the basis of their performance Upon completion of training an individual becomes an Airman 155 Some MWOs and WOs are granted honorary commission in the last year of their service as an honorary Flying Officer or Flight Lieutenant before retiring from the service 155 Airmen marching during Air Force Day celebration Rank group Junior commissioned officers Non commissioned officer Enlisted Indian Air Force 157 vte No insigniaMaster warrant officer Warrant officer Junior warrant officer Sergeant Corporal Leading aircraftsman AircraftsmanHonorary officers Sachin Tendulkar was the first sportsperson and the first civilian without an aviation background to be awarded the honorary rank of group captain by the Indian Air Force 158 Non combatants enrolled and civilians Non combatants enrolled NCs E were established in British India as personal assistants to the officer class and are equivalent to the orderly or sahayak of the Indian Army citation needed Almost all the commands have some percentage of civilian strength which are central government employees These are regular ranks which are prevalent in ministries They are usually not posted outside their stations and are employed in administrative and non technical work 159 160 Training and education Main article Military academies in India The Indian Armed Forces have set up numerous military academies across India for training its personnel such as the National Defence Academy NDA Besides the tri service institutions the Indian Air Force has a Training Command and several training establishments While technical and other support staff are trained at various Ground Training Schools the pilots are trained at the Air Force Academy Dundigul located in Hyderabad The Pilot Training Establishment at Allahabad the Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at Bangalore the Air Force Technical College Bangalore at Jalahalli the Tactics and Air Combat and Defence Establishment at Gwalior and the Paratrooper s Training School at Agra are some of the other training establishments of the IAF Aircraft inventory source LCH of the Indian Air Force Main article List of active Indian military aircraft See also List of historical aircraft of the Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force has aircraft and equipment of Russian erstwhile Soviet Union British French Israeli US and Indian origins with Russian aircraft dominating its inventory HAL produces some of the Russian and British aircraft in India under licence The exact number of aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force cannot be determined with precision from open sources Various reliable sources provide notably divergent estimates for a variety of high visibility aircraft citation needed Flight International estimates there to be around 1 750 aircraft in service with the IAF 3 while the International Institute for Strategic Studies provides a similar estimate of 1 850 aircraft 4 Both sources agree there are approximately 900 combat capable fighter attack etc aircraft in the IAF 3 4 Multi role fighters and strike aircraft Indian Air Force Rafale Dassault Rafale the latest addition to India s aircraft arsenal India has signed a deal for 36 Dassault Rafale multirole fighter aircraft As of June 2022 36 Rafale fighters are in service with the Indian Air Force 161 Sukhoi Su 30MKI the IAF s primary air superiority fighter with additional air to ground strike mission capability is the Sukhoi Su 30MKI 261 Su 30MKIs are in service 162 Mikoyan MiG 29 the MiG 29 known as Baaz Hindi for Hawk is a dedicated air superiority fighter constituting the IAF s second line of defence after the Su 30MKI There are 69 MiG 29s in service all of which have been recently upgraded to the MiG 29UPG standard after the decision was made in 2016 to upgrade the remaining 21 MiG 29s to the UPG standard 163 Dassault Mirage 2000 the Mirage 2000 known as Vajra Sanskrit for diamond or thunderbolt in Indian service The IAF currently operates 49 Mirage 2000Hs and 8 Mirage 2000 TH all of which are currently being upgraded to the Mirage 2000 5 MK2 standard with Indian specific modifications and 2 Mirage 2000 5 MK2 are in service as of March 2015 update 164 165 The IAF s Mirage 2000 are scheduled to be phased out by 2030 166 HAL Tejas HAL Tejas IAF MiG 21s are to be replaced by domestically built HAL Tejas 167 168 The first Tejas IAF unit No 45 Squadron IAF Flying Daggers was formed on 1 July 2016 followed by No 18 Squadron IAF Flying Bullets on 27 May 2020 169 Initially stationed at Bangalore the first squadron was then to be transferred to its home base in Sulur Tamil Nadu 170 In February 2021 the Indian Air Force ordered 83 Tejas including 40 Mark 1 73 single seat Mark 1As and 10 two seat Mark 1 trainers 171 Total 123 ordered 172 SEPECAT Jaguar the Jaguar known as the Shamsher serves as the IAF s primary ground attack force 173 The IAF currently operates 139 Jaguars 174 The first batch of DARIN 1 Jaguars are now going through a DARIN 3 upgrade being equipped with EL M 2052 AESA radars and an improved jamming suite plus new avionics These aircraft are scheduled to be phased out by 2030 166 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 21 the MiG 21 serves as an interceptor aircraft in the IAF which phased out most of its MiG 21s and planned to keep only the 125 aircraft upgraded to the MiG 21 Bison standard 175 The phase out date for these interceptors has been postponed several times Initially set for 2014 2017 176 it was later postponed to 2019 177 Current phase out is scheduled for 2021 2022 166 Airborne early warning and control system An AEW amp C Embraer ERJ 145 The IAF is currently training crews in the operation of indigenously developed DRDO AEW amp CS conducting the training on Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft The IAF also operates the EL W 2090 Phalcon AEW amp C incorporated in a Beriev A 50 platform A total of three such systems are currently in service with two further potential orders 178 179 180 The two additional Phalcons are currently in negotiation to settle price differences between Russia and India India is also going ahead with Project India an in house AWACS program to develop and deliver six Phalcon class AWACS based on DRDO work on the smaller AEW amp CS Aerial refuelling An Ilyushin Il 78MKI at RIAT 2007 The IAF currently operates six Ilyushin Il 78MKIs in the aerial refueling tanker role 181 182 Transport aircraft Boeing C 17 Globemaster III For strategic airlift operations the IAF uses the Ilyushin Il 76 known as Gajraj Hindi for King Elephant in Indian service 183 The IAF operated 17 Il 76s in 2010 184 which are in the process of being replaced by C 17 Globemaster IIIs 185 186 IAF C 130Js are used by special forces for combined Army Air Force operations 187 India purchased six C 130Js however one crashed at Gwalior on 28 March 2014 while on a training mission killing all 5 on board and destroying the aircraft 188 189 The Antonov An 32 known in Indian service as the Sutlej named after Sutlej River serves as a medium transport aircraft in the IAF The aircraft is also used in bombing roles and paradropping operations 190 The IAF currently operates 105 An 32s all of which are being upgraded 190 The IAF operates 53 Dornier 228 to fulfil its light transport duties 191 192 The IAF also operates Boeing 737s 193 and Embraer ECJ 135 Legacy aircraft 194 as VIP transports and passenger airliners for troops Other VIP transport aircraft are used for both the Indian President and Prime Minister under the call sign Air India One 195 The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 once formed the backbone of the IAF s transport fleet but are now used mainly for training and communication duties 196 A replacement is under consideration 197 Trainer aircraft IAF BAE Hawk Mk 132 The HAL HPT 32 Deepak is IAF s basic flight training aircraft for cadets 198 The HPT 32 was grounded in July 2009 following a crash that killed two senior flight instructors 199 but was revived in May 2010 199 and is to be fitted with a parachute recovery system PRS to enhance survivability during an emergency in the air and to bring the trainer down safely 199 The HPT 32 is to be phased out soon 199 The HPT 32 has been replaced by Pilatus a Swiss aircraft The IAF uses the HAL HJT 16 Kiran mk I for intermediate flight training of cadets while the HJT 16 Kiran mk II provides advanced flight and weapons training 200 201 The HAL HJT 16 Kiran Mk 2 is also operated by the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team SKAT of the IAF 202 The Kiran is to be replaced by the HAL HJT 36 Sitara 203 The BAE Hawk Mk 132 serves as an advanced jet trainer in the IAF and is progressively replacing the Kiran Mk II The IAF has begun the process of converting the Surya Kiran display team to Hawks 140 A total of 106 BAE Hawk trainers have been ordered by the IAF of which 39 have entered service as of July 2010 update 204 IAF also ordered 72 Pipistrel Virus SW 80 microlight aircraft for basic training purpose 205 206 Helicopters The HAL Dhruv serves primarily as a light utility helicopter in the IAF In addition to transport and utility roles newer Dhruvs are also used as attack helicopters 207 Four Dhruvs are also operated by the Indian Air Force Sarang Helicopter Display Team 142 The HAL Chetak is a light utility helicopter and is used primarily for training rescue and light transport roles in the IAF 208 The HAL Chetak is being gradually replaced by HAL Dhruv 208 The HAL Cheetah is a light utility helicopter used for high altitude operations It is used for both transport and search and rescue missions in the IAF 209 AH 64 Apache The Mil Mi 8 and the Mil Mi 17 Mi 17 1V and Mi 17V 5 are operated by the IAF for medium lift strategic and utility roles The Mi 8 is being progressively replaced by the Mi 17 series of helicopters 210 211 The IAF has ordered 22 Boeing AH 64E Apache attack helicopters 68 HAL Light Combat Helicopters LCH 35 HAL Rudra attack helicopters 15 CH 47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters and 150 Mi 17V 5s to replace and augment its existing fleet of Mi 8s Mi 17s and Mi 24s 212 The Mil Mi 26 serves as a heavy lift helicopter in the IAF It can also be used to transport troops or as a flying ambulance The IAF currently operates three Mi 26s 213 The Mil Mi 35 serves primarily as an attack helicopter in the IAF The Mil Mi 35 can also act as a low capacity troop transport The IAF currently operates two squadrons No 104 Firebirds and No 125 Gladiators of Mi 25 35s 214 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles The IAF currently uses the IAI Searcher II 215 and IAI Heron 216 for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes The IAI Harpy serves as an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle UCAV which is designed to attack radar systems 217 The IAF also operates the DRDO Lakshya which serves as realistic towed aerial sub targets for live fire training 218 Land based missile systems Akash missile Surface To Air Missiles The air force operates twenty five squadrons of S 125 Pechora six squadrons of 9K33 Osa AK ten flights of 9K38 Igla 1 thirteen squadrons of Akash 219 along with eighteen squadron of SPYDER for air defence 220 221 222 Two squadrons of Akash were on ordered 223 IAF and Indian Army has both placed the order of 1 000 kit of MRSAM 224 225 Ballistic missiles The IAF currently operates the Prithvi II short range ballistic missile SRBM The Prithvi II is an IAF specific variant of the Prithvi ballistic missile 226 FutureMain article Future of the Indian Air Force The number of aircraft in the IAF has been decreasing from the late 1990s due to the retirement of older aircraft and several crashes To deal with the depletion of force levels the IAF has started to modernise its fleet This includes both the upgrade of existing aircraft equipment and infrastructure as well as induction of new aircraft and equipment both indigenous and imported As new aircraft enter service and numbers recover the IAF plans to have a fleet of 42 squadrons 227 Expected future acquisitions Single engined fighter On 3 January 2017 Minister of Defence Manohar Parrikar addressed a media conference and announced plans for a competition to select a Strategic Partner to deliver 200 new single engine fighters to be made in India which will easily cost around USD 45 million apiece without weaponry with an expectation that Lockheed Martin USA and Saab Sweden will pitch the F 16 Block 70 and Gripen respectively An MoD official said that a global tender will be put to market in the first quarter of 2018 228 229 with a private company nominated as the strategic partners production agency followed by a two or more year process to evaluate technical and financial bids and conduct trials before the final government to government deal in 2021 This represents 11 squadrons of aircraft plus several attrition aircraft 230 India is also planning to set up an assembly line of American Lockheed Martin F 16 Fighting Falcon Block 70 in Bengaluru It is not yet confirmed whether IAF will induct these aircraft or not In 2018 the defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave the go ahead to scale up the manufacturing of Tejas at HAL and also to export Tejas She is quoted saying We are not ditching the LCA We have not gone for anything instead of Tejas We are very confident that Tejas Mark II will be a big leap forward to fulfil the single engine fighter requirement of the forces 231 IAF committed to buy 201 Mark II variant of the Tejas taking the total order of Tejas to 324 232 The government also scrapped the plan to import single engine fighters leading to reduction in reliance on imports thereby strengthening the domestic defence industry 233 The IAF also submitted a request for information to international suppliers for a stealth unmanned combat air vehicle UCAV 234 Current acquisitions HAL HTT 40 The IAF has placed orders for 123 HAL Tejas comprising 40 Mark 1 73 Mark 1A fighters and 10 Mark 1 trainers 235 36 Dassault Rafale multi role fighters 236 106 basic trainer aircraft HAL HTT 40 112 Pilatus PC 7MkII basic trainers 237 238 72 HAL HJT 36 Sitara trainers 140 65 HAL Light Combat Helicopters 239 6 Airbus A330 MRTT 240 56 EADS CASA C 295 aircraft 241 and IAI Harop UCAVs 217 242 DRDO and HAL projects HAL TEDBF a twin engine based multirole combat aircraft HAL Tejas Mk2 a single seater multirole combat aircraft Indian defence company HAL and Defense Research Organization DRDO are developing several aircraft for the IAF such as the HAL Tejas Mk2 167 168 HAL TEDBF naval aircraft 243 HAL AMCA 5th generation aircraft 244 DRDO AEW amp CS revived from the Airavat Project 245 NAL Saras 246 HAL HJT 36 Sitara 247 HAL HTT 40 HAL Light Utility Helicopter LUH 248 DRDO Rustom 249 and DRDO Ghatak UCAV 250 DRDO has developed the Akash missile system for the IAF 251 252 and also developed the Prithvi II ballistic missile 253 HAL is also close to develop its own fifth generation fighter aircraft HAL AMCA which will be inducted by 2028 DRDO has entered in a joint venture with Israel Aerospace Industries IAI to develop the Barak 8 SAM 254 Akash NG is also being developed by DRDO which will be the same range of Barak 8 255 DRDO is developing the air launched version of the BrahMos cruise missile in a joint venture with Russia s NPO Mashinostroeyenia DRDO has now successfully developed the nuclear capable Nirbhay cruise missile 256 DRDO and HAL has also engaged in the unmanned combat system According to this HAL will develop the whole family of unmanned aircraft by the end of 2024 25 257 258 Network centric warfare The Air Force Network AFNET a robust digital information grid that enabled quick and accurate threat responses was launched in 2010 helping the IAF become a truly network centric air force AFNET is a secure communication network linking command and control centres with offensive aircraft sensor platforms and ground missile batteries Integrated Air Command and Control System IACCS an automated system for Air Defence operations will ride the AFNet backbone integrating ground and airborne sensors weapon systems and command and control nodes Subsequent integration with civil radar and other networks shall provide an integrated Air Situation Picture and reportedly acts as a force multiplier for intelligence analysis mission control and support activities like maintenance and logistics The design features multiple layers of security measures including encryption and intrusion prevention technologies to hinder and deter espionage efforts 259 See alsoList of Indian Air Force Gallantry Award Winners List of Indian Army Gallantry Award Winners List of historical aircraft of the Indian Air Force Indian Air Force Football TeamReferences 20 Sailor Shortage in Navy 15 Officer Posts Vacant in Army Nirmala Sitharaman Tells Parliament 27 December 2017 Archived from the original on 27 December 2017 Retrieved 28 December 2017 Iiss 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