Modernisation of IAF

नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम्

Touch the SKY with Glory
Need to modernize
Threat of Two front war
To protect the airspace
Securing space assets
Retirement of existing machines
To augment the fighting potential of IAF
IAF is authorised 42 squadrons of Aircrafts. Each Squadron
is authorised 18 aircrafts. Today it has a strength of 33
squadrons only.
What need to be Done?
spread our R&D industry to private sector.
HAL should tie-up with foreign manfcr units.
Defence budget, Army - 53%, IAF - 23%, Navy-17%,
and DRDO gets 6-7%. Current spending-1.5-2% of
GDP(need - 3%).
Proper mechanism to allow foreign companies to
invest.
Upgrades
Fighter Aircraft
HAL Tejas Mark 1/Mark 1A
- already have 40 aircraft of Mark 1 variant(by 2022)
- MoD ordered 83 Tejas which includes 73 Mk 1A and 10 Mk 1
trainer
- first Tejas squadron No. 45 Squadron IAF Flying Daggers(sulur,
TN)
- Aim- 123 Tejas by 2028 (Replace MiG-21)
- Tejas mk2 planned single-engine, delta wing, multirole fighter
Dassault Rafale
- 36 Dassault Rafales in fly-away condition
- 36 additional Rafales by 2030
- inducted at ambala afs, hasimara afs
 (Under Development)
MMRCA 2.0
- Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft
- 200 new single engine fighters to be made in India
Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)
-twin-engined, 5-G, stealth, multirole fighter with
capability to fly unmanned
- by 2030

Omni-role Combat Aircraft (ORCA)

-twin-engine omni role fighter of Rafale category
- by 2032
Trainers
  - HAL HJT-36 Sitara will replace HJT-16 Kiran mk.I(order -73 no.)
Helicopters
HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)
- IAF ordered 65 LCHs
-  indigenously developed
HAL Rudra
- IAF placed an order for 38
- indigenous (variant of Dhruv )
Mi-17V-5
HAL Dhruv
- 46 have been delivered to IAF, 65(+) ordered
Kamov Ka-226T
- replacement for Chetak & Cheetah
-  226 helicopter under make in india
HAL Light Utility Helicopter
Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)
- Rustom will replace Heron
- GHATAK esp. for IAF by DRDO(capable of attack)
- utmost need of Anti-UAV aircrafts (U/D by DRDO)
Missiles
 BrahMos (Cr M)
- integration in
Nirbhay(Cr M)
- India origin, S2S, Nuclear capable,1000-1500 km
Barak 8 
- Indo-Israeli joint venture, S2A, 70-150km
Concerns
induction rate in the airforce has been slow.
making aircrafts indigenously has proved to be costly.
lack of collaboration b/w PSU & private sector wrt airforce.
expenditure diverted is not enough.
Investment in defence R&D is less.