Indian airforce

By Manjeet Negi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to organize a major multinational aerial exercise this year and the air forces of global powers, including the US, have been invited to take part in it. Top government sources told India Today that the exercise aims to gather at least 10-12 air forces from around the world. The exercise will mark the first-ever large-scale multinational gathering of air forces on Indian soil and will provide a unique learning experience for Indian pilots, said the sources. Over the years, India has actively participated in similar aerial exercises. The Indian Air Force is expected to participate in the multinational aerial exercise with its Rafale and Su-30 fighter planes. The IAF had sent its Rafale aircraft for the exercise in France and Su-30s for Exercise INIOCHOS-23, a multi-national air exercise hosted by the Greece Air Force. The Rafale is the most potent aircraft in the Indian Air Force stable while the Su-30s are the mainstay of the force, making up for almost 50 per cent of the combat aircraft fleet. ALSO READ |

The following represents an overview of the modern aerial fighting capabilities of the Indian Air Force (2023). The service currently counts 1,645 total units in its active aircraft inventory. The WDMMA review takes into account specific categories of aircraft covering attack, logistics, special-mission, and general support types. Inventory numbers and related aircraft types / variants are provided as-is and derived from publically-available information / sources. "Outlook" results are related to any future airframes currently under procurement though said airframes may not be delivered for service in the current year for various reasons. "Readiness Rates" are based on the published USAF standard. Due to discrepancies regarding UAV reporting between countries and sources, unmanned vehicles are currently not tracked by WDMMA.

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has carried out a joint exercise with the Indian Army in the central sector with the deployment of multiple combat assets to check the operational readiness of the two forces. The exercise follows the IAF's two strategic missions over the Indian Ocean region that involved Rafale and Su-30MKI jets. "The #IAF recently concluded a joint exercise with the Indian Army in the central sector. Multiple combat assets were employed to simulate realistic combat situations for all participants," the IAF tweeted on Sunday. The It, however, did not divulge the details such as the date and venue of the operations. A few days back, a fleet of Su-30MKI jets of the IAF carried out a strategic mission over the Indian Ocean region for eight hours, days after a similar operation was carried out by four Rafale aircraft. The Su-30MKI jets flew over the South Western region of the Indian Ocean on Thursday demonstrating their operational prowess and capability to carry out long-range missions. The six-hour mission involving the Rafale fighter aircraft last month covered the eastern region of the Indian Ocean. The IAF carried out the two missions at a time China has been ramping up its presence in the Indian Ocean region, which is largely considered as the backyard of the Indian Navy. The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.

The Indian Army’s reorientation from the western borders to the northern borders in the aftermath of the 2020 standoff with China, along with A range of new systems, mostly indigenous, are being inducted, with new technologies factoring in the new realities. Bringing it all together is a new automation initiative under Army inducts Russian MANPADS Networked automation The nearly ₹2,000 crore contract for Akashteer, a networking and automation project on the same lines as the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System network, was signed in March 2023. “It is a major initiative and the entire implementation should be done by March 2024,” a defence source said, noting that this was probably the fastest project in the army, given that the approval of qualitative requirements only came through in December 2019. “This will link all the radars and control centres of AAD and consolidate the air defence picture, removing duplications or overlaps and also integrate all the weapons. The need today is for a comprehensive air defence solution,” the source explained. Akashteer will also be able to communicate with the IAF’s network. Shifting focus Before Defence Acquisition Council gives nod to purchase indigenous defence systems The war in Ukraine has also changed the requirements, forcing the army to factor in new threats to air defence such as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, loitering munitions, swarm drones and cruise missiles. New technology The Ukraine conflic...

Rahul Bhatia is a research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on India’s borders and India’s foreign and defense policies. The IAF has historically been the best-equipped air force in the region, but its advantages have The Indian government At the heart of the pivot is a desire to build a completely indigenous fighter. While the much-vaunted, homegrown, single-engine light fighter known as Tejas doesn’t quite fit the bill—with around The Tejas, which took There are, however, concerns over whether the manufacturer of the aircraft, India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), can fulfill its orders in time. Despite the production capacity of the Tejas being To keep alive the dream of inducting a completely indigenous fighter jet, India will need to boost its research, design, and production capabilities to satisfy the IAF’s requirements. The Support Carnegie India Carnegie India provides independent analysis on India’s pressing challenges and the rising role of India in the world. Our work is led by experienced scholars with decades of international and domestic policy experience who are not only of the region but also crucially connected to Carnegie’s global network of expertise.

Rahul Bhatia is a research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. His research focuses on India’s borders and India’s foreign and defense policies. The IAF has historically been the best-equipped air force in the region, but its advantages have The Indian government At the heart of the pivot is a desire to build a completely indigenous fighter. While the much-vaunted, homegrown, single-engine light fighter known as Tejas doesn’t quite fit the bill—with around The Tejas, which took There are, however, concerns over whether the manufacturer of the aircraft, India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), can fulfill its orders in time. Despite the production capacity of the Tejas being To keep alive the dream of inducting a completely indigenous fighter jet, India will need to boost its research, design, and production capabilities to satisfy the IAF’s requirements. The Support Carnegie India Carnegie India provides independent analysis on India’s pressing challenges and the rising role of India in the world. Our work is led by experienced scholars with decades of international and domestic policy experience who are not only of the region but also crucially connected to Carnegie’s global network of expertise.

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has carried out a joint exercise with the Indian Army in the central sector with the deployment of multiple combat assets to check the operational readiness of the two forces. The exercise follows the IAF's two strategic missions over the Indian Ocean region that involved Rafale and Su-30MKI jets. "The #IAF recently concluded a joint exercise with the Indian Army in the central sector. Multiple combat assets were employed to simulate realistic combat situations for all participants," the IAF tweeted on Sunday. The It, however, did not divulge the details such as the date and venue of the operations. A few days back, a fleet of Su-30MKI jets of the IAF carried out a strategic mission over the Indian Ocean region for eight hours, days after a similar operation was carried out by four Rafale aircraft. The Su-30MKI jets flew over the South Western region of the Indian Ocean on Thursday demonstrating their operational prowess and capability to carry out long-range missions. The six-hour mission involving the Rafale fighter aircraft last month covered the eastern region of the Indian Ocean. The IAF carried out the two missions at a time China has been ramping up its presence in the Indian Ocean region, which is largely considered as the backyard of the Indian Navy. The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.

The following represents an overview of the modern aerial fighting capabilities of the Indian Air Force (2023). The service currently counts 1,645 total units in its active aircraft inventory. The WDMMA review takes into account specific categories of aircraft covering attack, logistics, special-mission, and general support types. Inventory numbers and related aircraft types / variants are provided as-is and derived from publically-available information / sources. "Outlook" results are related to any future airframes currently under procurement though said airframes may not be delivered for service in the current year for various reasons. "Readiness Rates" are based on the published USAF standard. Due to discrepancies regarding UAV reporting between countries and sources, unmanned vehicles are currently not tracked by WDMMA.

By Manjeet Negi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to organize a major multinational aerial exercise this year and the air forces of global powers, including the US, have been invited to take part in it. Top government sources told India Today that the exercise aims to gather at least 10-12 air forces from around the world. The exercise will mark the first-ever large-scale multinational gathering of air forces on Indian soil and will provide a unique learning experience for Indian pilots, said the sources. Over the years, India has actively participated in similar aerial exercises. The Indian Air Force is expected to participate in the multinational aerial exercise with its Rafale and Su-30 fighter planes. The IAF had sent its Rafale aircraft for the exercise in France and Su-30s for Exercise INIOCHOS-23, a multi-national air exercise hosted by the Greece Air Force. The Rafale is the most potent aircraft in the Indian Air Force stable while the Su-30s are the mainstay of the force, making up for almost 50 per cent of the combat aircraft fleet. ALSO READ |

The Indian Army’s reorientation from the western borders to the northern borders in the aftermath of the 2020 standoff with China, along with A range of new systems, mostly indigenous, are being inducted, with new technologies factoring in the new realities. Bringing it all together is a new automation initiative under Army inducts Russian MANPADS Networked automation The nearly ₹2,000 crore contract for Akashteer, a networking and automation project on the same lines as the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System network, was signed in March 2023. “It is a major initiative and the entire implementation should be done by March 2024,” a defence source said, noting that this was probably the fastest project in the army, given that the approval of qualitative requirements only came through in December 2019. “This will link all the radars and control centres of AAD and consolidate the air defence picture, removing duplications or overlaps and also integrate all the weapons. The need today is for a comprehensive air defence solution,” the source explained. Akashteer will also be able to communicate with the IAF’s network. Shifting focus Before Defence Acquisition Council gives nod to purchase indigenous defence systems The war in Ukraine has also changed the requirements, forcing the army to factor in new threats to air defence such as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, loitering munitions, swarm drones and cruise missiles. New technology The Ukraine conflic...