The Indian Air Force marked its 92nd Anniversary this October 8, and as perhaps since the beginning of this century, there is a question mark on the depleting numbers of its combat aircraft.
Although IAF acquired 36 Rafale combat jets from France in 2016, or just two Squadrons, they are nowhere near the requirement targets. It was a decision taken as a stop gap arrangement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the talks between India and France otherwise were not nearing finality.
Normally, a Fighter Squadron has 21 war jets, 18, plus three more to meet any contingency. I understand that during bilateral discussions in Paris, someone told the dealing officials that a Squadron has 18 aircraft, without mentioning the additional three, and it was done accordingly. It was a good deal, covering aspects from training to maintenance and spares, but howsoever, falling far below the requirement, and the shortage created by the depleting numbers of older aircraft, both in numbers and contemporary technologies.
IAF’s best modernization was during Rajiv Gandhi’s term as Prime Minister when IAF acquired the first lot of Mirage 2000s in 1985 along with sophisticated radars, avionics and weapons.
IAF has a sanctioned strength of 42 combat aircraft but over the years, thanks to the embargo on modernisation imposed by VP Singh, the three Services have suffered, and IAF combat squadron strength has depleted. Any programme, once delayed, takes years to restart.
Thankfully, the Modi Government is now accelerating all modernisation programmes.
IAF has an open requirement for 114 Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), and the French Dassault, which manufactures Rafales, and has supplied Mirage 2000s earlier, is literally waiting in the wings for more orders. Serious Transfer of Technology (ToT) is mandatory.
But waiting in the wings is also Boeing which had offered its F 18 Super Hornet earlier, and now the Boeing F 15EX Eagle.
One critical factor is the Engine; Safran’s M 88-2 Turbofan powers the Rafale.
F 15 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines.
IAF also has an interest in GE Aerospace whose F 404 and F 414 have been selected over M 88 for India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and also the proposed indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
Some technology transfer is mandated, and as it can only be approved by the concerned governments, the Department of Defense in US or the Ministere des Armees in France, the Indian Ministry of Defence has to do a balancing act. Naturally, the respective companies, particularly the GE Aerospace, are pursuing their interests aggressively.
India’s research institutions like DRDO and have made good progress in radars, avionics and missiles, but the engine technology is still far, notwithstanding India’s own Kaveri work on which has been going in for decades. Indigenous development costs time.
IAF has to balance both its requirements by acquisitions from foreign manufacturers and indigenous development on thin diplomatic lines with Paris and Washington.
— Gulshan Rai Luthra
