IAF’s Quest for Fighter Fleet Augmentation
Needs to Follow a Balanced Programme
The continued rooftop cacophony by Media – et al that IAF (Indian Air Force) is down to less than 30 squadrons against its present authorized strength of 42 squadrons notwithstanding, it should be clear to the defence planners that IAF needs to follow a balanced programme to develop/manufacture advanced fighter aircraft to counter its major adversaries China and Pakistan which have already collusively acquired 4th/5th gen fighter aircraft and moving towards 6th gen capabilities. It is also imperative that India’s fighter programme should be a happy blend of acquired and home-grown capabilities with emphasis on indigenous production in its quest for self-reliance (Atmnirbharta).
The IAF plans to have a significant fleet of Tejas fighters, aiming for around 324 aircraft across Mk1, Mk1A and the future Mk2. With the recent major orders of 83 and 97 Mk1A jets the current total ordered stands at 220, forming the backbone of the 4/4+ gen fighter with deliveries stretching into the 2030s.The initial order of 40 Tejas Mk1 (36 fighters + 4 trainers) has been delivered to the IAF. However, the 2021 order of 83 Tejas mk1A (73 fighters + 10 trainers is yet to commence. The hiccup has been due to break in the supply of GE F404-IN20 engines attributed by GE to its subsidiary suppliers of different engine components due to COVID pandemic. HAL is now gearing up to supply at least 24 jets per year by opening up a third facility for Tejas aircraft in Nasik. It is hoped that that General Electric will now be able to supply the required number of engines per year even if the rate of production is increased further. It may be noted that India has signed a $1 billion deal with General Electric for 113 GE F404-IN20 engines, supplementing the 99 engines ordered earlier for the first 83 jets. for the LCA Mk1A aircraft. IAF has ordered a total of 180 Tejas Mk1A aircraft as of now out of which the first lot of 10 aircraft are reportedly being readied by HAL for completion of delivery by end March 2026. In all, it would take about 7.5 years to complete the delivery of 180 aircraft at the presently envisaged rate of induction. If one was to take into account Tejas Mk2 as well then, the delivery schedule could get extended by another 5 years. Even at the end of it, while the capability would theoretically have been created to reequip 16 squadrons, IAF, other than the present deficiency of 13 squadrons, would have lost a number of additional squadrons as well, involving Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 fleets due to obsolescence. It can thus be seen that the Tejas programme by itself will not be able to solve the problem in its entirety and would have to be supplemented with other programmes. It can be said that DRDO has the ongoing AMCA programme. That may be true but the induction of developed 5th generation AMCA aircraft into service is more than a decade away. It is imperative that India looks at an international collaboration for this purpose and this where the French Dassault can step in. It has already offered to install a new full-fledged Rafale assembly line in India, with a caveat though of an order for a minimum of 100 aircraft.
India is already pursuing a case for the acquisition of 114 MRFA (Multi Role Fighter Aircraft) which could be linked with the Dassault offer. India could go in for Rafae 5, a true 4.5 generation fighter with advanced features like sensor fusion, electronic warfare, and some stealth. This would also provide a technological step up that could help India for the development of its own 5th generation AMCA fighter in the coming decade.
Rafale F5 standard’s enhanced capabilities aim for greater range, integration with “loyal wingman” drones, improved data links and detecting stealth targets etc. These aircraft could be manufactured in the private sector such as TASL (Tata Advanced Systems Limited) which is already engaged in making the Rafale fighter jet fuselages in India. Upgrading the facility for the production of the entire aircraft would be comparatively easier than starting afresh and more cost effective. This facility could subsequently be used for the production of these aircraft for the global market, as well as upgraded for the production of full-blooded 5th generation version of the Rafale, if and when required.
In the interim, India could also consider acquisition of a small numbers of the Russian Su-57 fighter aircraft, to quickly bridge to some extent the 5th generation gap with China (and Pakistan) in the short term. These aircraft were offered by President Putin during his recent visit to India.
In the final analysis, it should be clear that India needs to adopt a multi-pronged approach for its fighter programme, namely :-
a) Go full throttle on the indigenous programmes for LCA Mk1, Mk1A, and AMCA 5th generation aircraft.
b) Go for additional capabilities by producing Rafale variants in India.
c) Acquire two or three squadrons of Su-57 fighters from Russia. These could perhaps be assembled in India at the same place as Su-30s.
The overall aim should be to build up the ‘Sword Arm’ of the Armed Forces as soon as possible to maintain the required deterrence against Indiá’s adversaries.
– Air Marshal VK ‘Jimmy’ Bhatia (Retd)
