Just earlier than its 81st anniversary on October 8, the IAF has virtually sounded the red-alert over its fast-dwindling selection of fighter squadrons. Confronted with the government’s slow decision-making, fund crunches and Hindustan Aeronautics’ sluggish performance, the force is now being forced to further stagger the already long-delayed retirement of its ageing MiG-21s and MiG-27s.
The grim situation could be gauged from the undeniable fact that IAF will continue to fly its 110 upgraded MiG-21 “Bisons” — of the complete 260 MiG-21s still in its combat fleet — till 2025. Making this startling admission, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) NAK Browne on Friday said, “We are authorized 42 fighter squadrons but, just now, we’re much below that.”
Though the primacy of airpower in shaping battles is undisputed, and both China and Pakistan are fast bolstering their fleets, the IAF is right down to just 34 fighter squadrons (each has 16-18 jets) as of now.
So, at the same time as plans are underway to upgrade airbases and advanced landing grounds for both the western and eastern fronts, there’s a crippling shortage of contemporary fighters that may be deployed there.
With MiG-21 and MiG-27 squadrons slated for progressive phasing out over the 12th and 13th Plan periods (2012-22), IAF is wanting to ensure its long-standing new fighter induction plans aren’t derailed any more.
The topmost priority is the just about $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to obtain 126 fighter jets, whilst it’s going to progressively induct the remainder 100 Sukhoi-30MKIs of the 272 such fighters contracted from Russia for around $12 billion.
The long-drawn MMRCA technical and commercial evaluation process began in August 2007, with the French Rafale fighter finally emerging the winner in January, 2012. However the contract — under which the primary 18 jets are to be imported and the remainder manufactured under licence by HAL over six years — is nowhere near being inked.
“The MMRCA and the primary two squadrons of Tejas light combat aircraft (the indigenous fighter project sanctioned in 1983 but still to totally fructify) are very critical for us to preserve our deterrence capability. Otherwise, our force-levels will go down rapidly,” said ACM Browne.
With the rustic headed for general elections, it’s highly unlikely the MMRCA contract may be concluded within the ongoing fiscal. However the IAF chief said, “There isn’t any back-up plan. The MMRCA is your best option, and it’s highly doable. If we sign it by next year, the primary MMRCA should come to us by 2017. We won’t delay it to any extent further.”
Even the long-term plan for co-developing the fifth-generation fighter aircraft with Russia is within the doldrums. It’s going to take a minimum of another year to ink the $11 billion “full design R&D contract” for the futuristic fighter, admitted ACM Browne.
As per the sooner timeline, IAF was seeking to induct over 200 of those swing-role stealth fighters from 2022 onwards. But that won’t be possible now. India will eventually spend around $35 billion in this project over the subsequent 15-twenty years, with each jet to be subsequently produced costing over $100 million.
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