COMBAT FLEET
IAF
Special
Swift and Lethal: Gusts of Rafales, Prowl of Jaguars. IAF commemorated ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ with a 75 aircraft Elephant Walk.
COMBAT FLEET OF THE IAF POST INDUCTION OF RAFALE As it appears at this point in time, the fleet of 284 Su-30 MKI aircraft is and will continue to be the backbone of the IAF for some years
Photograph: IAF / Twitter
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd) NEED FOR MODERNISATION OF THE COMBAT FLEET The fleet of combat aircraft in an air force of a nation is the primary weapon system that has the capability to project air power not only against targets in the neighbourhood, but against those located far away from the nation’s borders. However, this capability can be sustained only if the fleet of combat aircraft with the air force of the nation is equipped at all times with modern aircraft of the latest generation in the right numbers and is armed with modern and lethal weapon systems. The Indian Air Force (IAF) unfortunately, falls well short of these parameters that are essential for it to be capable of playing a significant role in ensuring the security of the nation.
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ISSUE 9 • 2021
STRENGTH OF THE COMBAT FLEET IN THE IAF As per information available in the public domain, before the commencement of the induction of the 36 Rafale fighter jets recently contracted for procurement from Dassault Aviation of France, the strength of the combat fleet of the IAF that had been on a constant decline over the years, stood at just about 31 squadrons as against the figure of 42 that is authorised by the Government of India. On account of the deficiency in the combat fleet of the IAF, the situation is undoubtedly precarious from the point of view of national security especially in view of the aggressive moves made in the recent past by the People’s Liberation Army of China in the Galwan Valley of Eastern Ladakh.
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