Indian Airforce

The Indian Air Force (Devanāgarī भारतीय वायु सेना IAST: Bhartiya Vāyu Senā) is the air arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting aerial warfare and securing the Indian airspace. It was established in 1932 as the Indian Air Force covering British India. It was granted the prefix "Royal" in 1945 in recognition of its services during the Second World War. The Air Force was partitioned between the new independent India and Pakistan in 1947. The prefix Royal was dropped after India became a Republic in 1950. With its headquarters in New Delhi, the Indian Air Force has a strength of approximately 170,000 personnel and between 1,242 combat aircraft (2006 figure) to a reported 2008 figure of 1430 combat aircraft making it the fourth largest air force in the world after US, Russia and China.

The Indian Air Force operates around 250 MiG-21 aircraft. The IAF initially planned to replace the MiG-21 fleet with indigenously-built HAL Tejas aircraft by 2006. However, the target could not be met due to developmental delays and a U.S. sanction, following the Pokhran tests, which blocked the delivery of GE F404 engines - a crucial component of the aircraft.

In 2004, the IAF placed an order for 66 BAE Hawk Mk 132 Advanced Jet Trainers in a deal worth over 1 billion GBP, with deliveries beginning in November, 2007 and induction in February, 2008. Another order for up to 40 more of the aircraft is expected to be placed with BAE Systems in 2008. Pilot instructors and engineers have already been trained in the UK, and the aircraft will go into 'Stage III training' service in mid-2008. The supply of these advanced trainer aircraft will bring to an end the use of the MiG-21 as a training jet. IAF suffered accidents as fighter pilots graduated from basic jet trainers to supersonic jets without intermediary training, and the Hawks were purchased to fill the slot. All 10 Advanced Jet Trainers Hawk delivered by Britain were grounded after one of them skidded off the runway while taking off in Karnataka. Both its Indian and British pilots were safe. The accident occurred at 12.40 p.m. Tuesday 27 April 2008 at the Flying Training Establishment at Bidar, IAF spokesman Wing Commander Mahesh Upasini said. “The (plane was on) a training mission. An inquiry has been ordered into the accident.” IAF sources said that an Indian and a British pilot were in the cockpit. The sources said the prima facie reason appeared to be a technical fault. The fleet of 10 Hawks, purchased off the shelf from Britain, have been grounded until an inquiry is held. The 10 Hawks were inducted into the IAF Feb 24. Of the 66 AJTs, the IAF had contracted to buy from the British BAE Systems at a cost of Rs.80 billion, 24 are being acquired in flyaway condition. The rest will be manufactured under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). BAE Systems and HAL are scheduled to complete the delivery of all 66 aircraft by 2011.

India also manufactures less-sophisticated HAL HJT-16 Kiran and this aircraft will be replaced with the advanced HJT-36. IAF uses HPT-32 Deepak for basic training.The Indian Air Force operates around 250 MiG-21 aircraft. On account of metal fatigue and out dated equipment, several MiG-21s used in training roles have crashed over the past six years, killing over 50 IAF pilots. Also, they are nearing the end of their service life having been in the IAF for many decades and are being decommissioned at an increasing pace. The IAF initially planned to replace the MiG-21 fleet with indigenously-built HAL Tejas aircraft by 2006. However, the target could not be met due to developmental delays and a US sanction, following the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, which blocked the delivery of GE F404 engines - a crucial component of the LCA.

The Indian Air Force has a requirement for combat aircraft to replace the MiG-21 in service. The Mirage-2000 were considered as a replacement. However, Dassault announced that it has shut down the assembly line of the Mirage-2000. Hence the IAF included the Mig-29M/M2, Gripen and F-16 in its itinerary of consideration. This was the first time in the IAF's history that an American aircraft was being considered. Later the number of manufacturers was widened to include heavy-weight aircraft like the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and Dassault Rafale. In an interview, the then Air Chief of the IAF M. Shahindra Pal Tyagi admitted to allowing heavy-weight aircraft to compete, "to allow more competition".

The limited series production of the indigenous LCA Tejas aircraft is ongoing at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The aircraft is supposed to get full operational clearance by 2010-12, as the Tejas' development has been accelerated. It is believed that the MRCA's procurement may take a much longer time than Tejas' induction in the IAF, and its subsequent mass production. The air force has issued an Intent (RoI) for procurement of MRCA (Multi Role Combat Aircraft). The following aircraft are participating: Russian MiG-35, French Rafale, European Eurofighter Typhoon, Swedish Gripen and the US F-16IN. Besides the F-16s, the US has also offered the sale of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet combat aircraft. IAF pilots and technicians are familiar with earlier aircraft from MiG and Dassault and would need minimal retraining. Infrastructural and logistical support for maintenance and spares would also be easier for these aircraft compared to the unfamiliar Gripens, F-16s and F/A-18s.

Apart from the 126 multi-role combat aircraft, 110 Su-30MKI air superiority fighters (out of the 240 Su-30MKI fighters ordered, 120 are already in service with the IAF), 220 Light Combat Aircraft, 47 Jaguar combat aircraft, 4 Tu-22M3 bombers, the Indian Air Force has signed contracts for 66 BAE Hawk Mk.132 trainers (deliveries in the pipeline), 80+ combat helicopters, 3 new Long Range UAVs, 8 mid-air refueling planes, 225+ HJT-36 Sitara Intermediate Jet Trainer aircraft and some additional medium-range transport aircraft. The Indian Air Force plans to upgrade its fleet of MiG-29 aircraft.

The Indian Air Force will soon conclude negotiations with Thales, and Dassault Aviation on offset package for the upgrade of 51 Mirage 2000s to Mirage 2000-5 standard. The new capabilities include longer-range detection and weapon firing against multiple targets and an extended operating envelope that will allow a border-protection mission, for instance, with two upgraded Mirages instead of the current six, according to Thales. The contract is estimated to cost 1.5 billion Euros