After Putting Tejas On Track, We Now Need To Concentrate On Force Multipliers For IAF
The Indian Air Force will now be steadily building up its Rafale numbers and reach 36 by 2022. It will be quite prudent to place orders for at least 36 more, if not 72, this year only, so that we start receiving them from 2023 onwards. By 2030 the IAF line up should be planned to be as under:-
• 16x Sukhoi 30 MKI
• 06x Rafale
• 12x Tejas Mk1/ MK1A/ Mk2
• 03xMirage 2000
• 04x MiG29
• 06x Jauguar
• 01xAMCA
• 06xSU 57 MKI
The Indian Air Force has been one of the best-equipped air forces in the region since 1971. Though now we need to have both quantity and quality to take on a combined PLAAF and PAF over a two front. For this 45 x fighters squadrons is just not enough. For giving a breathing space to IAF, also to decrease the need for JUGGAD every time, IAF needs to have 54 x fighters squadrons. Only this strength can provide enough aircrafts to avoid any nightmarish situations.
As it is China has already doubled its Squadron strength in Tibet from 06 to 12 squadrons. Pakistan has also conducted exercises recently at its airbase at Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Apart from the fighters, now there us a need to concentrate on certain force multipliers. These are the AWACs, the Aerial Re Fuellers, Electronic Warfare aircrafts, very long range radars and long and medium range air defence missiles. These force multipliers dramatically increase the combat effectiveness of fighters by extending their reach, situational awareness and endurance.
The Indian Air Force operates just three PHALCON AWACS systems based on the IL-76 aircraft, and two indigenously built Netra systems mounted on Embraer aircraft. These are just too inadequate. Ideally we need at the least 36x AWACS and equal number of re fuellers.. The IAF had been seeking to buy two more PHALCON systems since long. In addition, the DRDO is developing a variant of the Netra mounted on the Airbus A330 aircraft, which would offer more endurance and capabilities. Similarly, the fleet of six Russian-supplied Il-78 aerial refuelling tankers are just inadequate.
Thus a proper but super fast decision is required to select a common aircraft and start making them in India for both AWACS and re fuellers. The same aircraft should also be our heavy transport aircraft in 50 tons load category. Around six squadrons of these are required to act as force multiplier for the logistics hauls during a two front war. Thus a total of 144 can be manufactured in the country. Meanwhile our ADA, DRDO combined will get adequate time to design, test and certify a medium transport aircraft in 20 ton payload category to be used both by the military and the civil.
