IAF likely to see strength exceed mandated 42 fighter squadrons

In a key development that is likely to embolden the force and enable it to fly even higher and more powerful, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to increase its offensive strength beyond the mandated 42 fighter aircraft squadrons. “Given the situation in the South Asia region and the geopolitical turbulences, top officials and the policy makers believe that the mandated strength of 42 fighter aircraft squadrons is not enough,” a defence source told IANS.

“According to an internal review, the mandated strength of 42 is not enough, and there is a possibility that the number may see a spike in the coming future,” the source added.

This development comes four months after the Operation Sindoor.

Top Army brass defined this four-day conflict as a testing ground for China to test its military hardware via its proxy Pakistan.

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Rahul Singh, at an event in New Delhi, underscored that China is using real conflicts as a ‘live lab’ to assess its weapon systems, “which must be taken very seriously”.

With the pressure of two-front war scenarios, major discussions are underway post Operation Sindoor to enhance the IAF’s fighter jet strength above the 42-squadron limit.

According to sources, there are chances that the number might increase by 25-35 per cent.

Each squadron has 16-18 jets.

A fresh mandate will also need a clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

Notably, the IAF is already facing a huge problem of depleting fighter aircraft squadrons.

At present, the current fighter strength of the IAF is 31 squadrons, and this will be reduced to 29 on September 26, as the MiG-21 is all set to retire on that day.

Since the mid-1990s, the strength of IAF squadrons has been declining, and with the formal retirement of the MiG-21, the number will be lowest in the last five-six decades.

Similarly, the IAF is also facing consistent delays, including the delays in the Tejas Mark-1A fighter jet.

Deliveries of Tejas Mark- 1A were expected to begin last March, with at least 16 planes to be delivered every year. But in the present context, the IAF has not even received even a single jet from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh, earlier this year, had flagged the issue of consistent delays as he publicly expressed displeasure over the delay in the delivery of Tejas Mk1A fighter jets by the HAL.

 

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[MohitG]

The number of squadrons should be updated, as per requirement, maybe 35% increase to 57, from the current strength of 42 squadrons

 

[PrasannaBJN]

Just Updating the number here does not work. The Private companies to be involved in fighter jets manufacturing. We have to develop our own engine for figther jets. Till then, the foreign engine manufacturers keep delaying purposefully.. Chinese had the same problem. They developed the engine now and are just increasing the squadrons strength. If we depend on public sectors like HAL, ADA which we have been doing since 4o to 50 years, we can never achieve the desired strength..

 

[crzyred48]

If we ever wish to go against china, we should have at least 80-85 squadrons. I know it sounds unrealistic but china is planning to have 50 squadrons of the j20 alone. Combine that with other jets and they will have like 100 squadrons in total.

 

[SandeepGupta]

Use of 2.4 Ton Mig 31 Soloviev D30F6M Engine with 93KN Dry and 152 KN Wet Thrust in Tejas Mk1/ Mk 1A/Mk 2 can help reduce dependency on US GE F404/ GE F 414 Engines forever. Only Engine Mount need to be minor displaced.

I feel 140 Squadrons are required for IAF to fight 4 Front War from Pakistan Saudi Arabia Turkiye and China. IAF badly require say 50 Mig 35 Squadron with Soloviev D30 F6 M Engines, 22 Su 57M1 Squadron with AL 51F1 Engines, 15 Squadron Su 30 MKI, 14 Squadron Old Eurofighters Tranche 3 & 4 with Engines Spares & Overhaul facility and Captor AESA and Pirate IRST/FLIR, 22 Tejas Squadron and 9 Squadron AMCA, 8 Squadron Rafaele. Total Expenditure will be around 15-16 Lac Crore. Say 16 Lac Crore including Tejas Mk 1 & 2 and AMCA and Rafele and Modernisation of Su 30 MKI for 2520 Fully Loaded Modernized Planes for 50 year time frame. Adding life Cycle Cost 12 Lac Crore including 5x2=10x Engines and 3x Avionics and Computers and LED Screens it will cost 28 lac Crore for 50 years means 56000 Crores per year. For extra armaments 8000 Crore extra per year making it 64000 Crore per year at maximum for 50 Years Constant say 31.5 Lac Crore as most of payment in Rupees Rouble and Indian Rupees local purchase.
This 16 Lac Crore for 10 Years Fresh Equipment Purchase less of Domestic Procurement only 8.4 lac Crore required for foreign procurement including Engines from Russia will lead to 0.76 Lac Crore per Year payment outgo. And out of 7.6 Lac Crore nearly 3.6 Lac Crore in Constant Currency of Indian Rupees versus Rouble. Say 0.492 lac crore in Hard Currency per year adding foreign exchange fluctuation of 20% = per year for 10 years outgo.

Thus India must buy 900 Empty Mig 35 with Soloviev D30 F6M Engines for Rs. 200 Crore per fighter and such Mig 35 can be worthy fighter with Indian Avionics and Israeli Digital Coloured Terrain Map Generator and U.K. Pirate IRST/FLIR. 100% ToT will be Given to India for Mig 35 and Pirate IRST/FLIR. 50 Squadrons may be added quickly in such way for both attack and defence Total amount Rs. 1.8 Lac Crore. In addition 22 Squadrons say 400 Empty Su 57 M1E be added with 5 out of 6 Radars ( Side Looking Radars) and each plane cost Rs. 400 Crore for attack for total sum of Rs. 1.6 Lac Crore. This 3.6 Lac Crore for 72 Squadrons of Empty Planes. With Indian-ISRAEL-British Avionics and Indian Armaments total 5.57 Lac Crore will be Costing say 429 Crore per plane.

252 Old Eurofighters Tranche 3 & Tranch 4 be procured @700 Crore per plane. Say 1.764 Lac Crore for 252 planes with Spares and Overhaul agreement plus 0.34 Lac Crore as 19% foreign exchange fluctuation for 10 year period payments. = 2.1 lac crore approximate. So it will be 833.34 Crore per plane as estimated. New Rafaele se aadhi keemat honi chahiye. Add life cycle cost of 2x2 Engines extra will make addition of 0.65 Lac Crore + foreign exchange fluctuation of 40% for 40 year period making it nearly 0.9 lac Crore thus totalling to Rs. 3 Lac Crore for 252 such planes 1190.48 per plane for 40 Years. Plus 2×150=300 Crore for Indian Avionics like Radar, RWR, ASJP, IFF, Digital Colour Map Generator, Computer, LED, Helmet etc. = 1500 Crore lump sum per plane as Total lifecycle cost.

Also India DRDO is going for 120KN Engine deal with Saffron so home made engines would be fitted in 114+36=150 Rafaele upgrade besides AMCA. Each Rafaele will cost 1755 Crore + 150 Crore for 2x2=4 Engines plus 300 Crore for Avionics = 2200 Crore per plane lump sum.

So it is 114 Rafaele @2200 Crore per plane Versus 252 Much more Advanced Old Eurofighter @1500 Crore per plane despite Saffron home made engines advantage to Rafaele.
Lifecycle cost for Mig 35 will come out to 745 Crore per plane for 5x2=10 Engines Replacement 25 Crore per twin Engine and 2x Indian Avionics suite and for Su 57 M1E it will be 1000 Crore per plane includes 3×2=6 Engine Replacement 50 Crore per Engine and 2x Indian Avionics suite.
Thus Mig 35 is almost 2.96x=3× Cheaper than Rafaele in life cycle cost and Su 57E is 2.2 × Cheaper than Rafaele in life cycle cost giving equal or better quality.

So 750 Crore Mig 35; 1000 Crore Su 57M1; 1500 Crore Old Eurofighter Tranche 3 & 4 and last comes 2200 Crore Rafaele on full life Cycle Cost. Su57M1 will be having upperhand in performance alongwith Mig 35 then comes Eurofighter and last comes Rafaele say Oonchi Dukan Pheeka Pakwan.

Lifecycle cost of above 4 planes Mig 35, Su57M1, Old Eurofighter Tranche 3 & 4 and Rafaele will 17 Lac Crore Lump sum.

Total 8 lac Crore Tejas and AMCA life cycle cost and 6 Lac Crore Full Fleet Sukhoi 2x Upgrade. 9 lac Crore for lifecycle cost of armaments. So total 40 Lac Crore for Fifty Years means 80000 Crore per year static expenditure for IAF to maintain 140 Squadrons.

These are approximate estimates done by me only but may come out to be true. You can have your own Estimates and can not agree with my views as it is your choice.

 

[DS]

The thought process is correct.

Indigenously built aircraft must be our mainstay in the future.

To meet all current adversaries and likely future military operations we need focused accretion of fighters to 80 squadrons as early as possible.

 

[navinbijoy]

Use of 2.4 Ton Mig 31 Soloviev D30F6M Engine with 93KN Dry and 152 KN Wet Thrust in Tejas Mk1/ Mk 1A/Mk 2 can help reduce dependency on US GE F404/ GE F 414 Engines forever. Only Engine Mount need to be minor displaced.

I feel 140 Squadrons are required for IAF to fight 4 Front War from Pakistan Saudi Arabia Turkiye and China. IAF badly require say 50 Mig 35 Squadron, 22 Su 57M1 Squadron, 15 Squadron Su 30 MKI, 14 Squadron Old Eurofighters Tranche 3 & 4 with Engines Spares & Overhaul facility and Captor AESA and Pirate IRST/FLIR, 22 Tejas Squadron and 9 Squadron AMCA, 8 Squadron Rafaele. Total Expenditure will be around 14-15 Lac Crore. Say 15 Lac Crore including Tejas Mk 1 & 2 and AMCA and Rafele and Modernisation of Su 30 MKI for 2520 Fully Loaded Modernized Planes for 50 year time frame. Adding life Cycle Cost 12 Lac Crore including 5x2=10x Engines and 3x Avionics and Computers and LED Screens it will cost 27 lac Crore for 50 years means 53000 Crores per year. For extra armaments 8000 Crore extra per year making it 61000 Crore per year at maximum for 50 Years Constant say 30.5 Lac Crore as most of payment in Rupees Rouble and Indian Rupees local purchase.
This 15 Lac Crore for 10 Years Fresh Equipment Purchase less of Domestic Procurement only 10.8 lac Crore required for foreign procurement including Engines from Russia will lead to 0.9 Lac Crore per Year payment outgo. And out of 10.8 Lac Crore nearly 6.7 Lac Crore in Constant Currency of Indian Rupees versus Rouble. Say 0.51 lac crore in Hard Currency per year adding foreign exchange fluctuation of 20% = per year for 10 years outgo.

Thus India must buy 900 Empty Mig 35 with Soloviev D30 F6M Engines for Rs. 194 Crore per fighter and such Mig 35 can be worthy fighter with Indian Avionics and Israeli Digital Coloured Terrain Map Generator and U.K. Pirate IRST/FLIR. 100% ToT will be Given to India for Mig 35 and Pirate IRST/FLIR. 50 Squadrons may be added quickly in such way for both attack and defence Total amount Rs. 1.75 Lac Crore. In addition 22 Squadrons say 400 Empty Su 57 M1E be added with 5 out of 6 Radars ( Side Looking Radars) and each plane cost Rs. 400 Crore for attack for total sum of Rs. 1.6 Lac Crore. This 3.35 Lac Crore for 72 Squadrons of Empty Planes. With Indian-ISRAEL-British Avionics and Indian Armaments total 5.57 Lac Crore will be Costing say 429 Crore per plane.

252 Old Eurofighters Tranche 3 & Tranch 4 be procured @700 Crore per plane. Say 1.764 Lac Crore for 252 planes with Spares and Overhaul agreement plus 0.34 Lac Crore as 19% foreign exchange fluctuation for 10 year period payments. = 2.1 lac crore approximate. So it will be 833.34 Crore per plane as estimated. New Rafaele se aadhi keemat honi chahiye. Add life cycle cost of 2x2 Engines extra will make addition of 0.65 Lac Crore + foreign exchange fluctuation of 40% for 40 year period making it nearly 0.9 lac Crore thus totalling to Rs. 3 Lac Crore for 252 such planes 1190.48 per plane for 40 Years. Plus 2×150=300 Crore for Indian Avionics like Radar, RWR, ASJP, IFF, Digital Colour Map Generator, Computer, LED, Helmet etc. = 1500 Crore lump sum per plane as Total lifecycle cost.

Also India DRDO is going for 120KN Engine deal with Saffron so home made engines would be fitted in 114+36=150 Rafaele upgrade besides AMCA. Each Rafaele will cost 1755 Crore + 150 Crore for 2x2=4 Engines plus 300 Crore for Avionics = 2200 Crore per plane lump sum.

So it is 114 Rafaele @2200 Crore per plane Versus 252 Much more Advanced Old Eurofighter @1500 Crore per plane despite Saffron home made engines advantage to Rafaele.
Lifecycle cost for Mig 35 will come out to 745 Crore per plane for 5x2=10 Engines Replacement 25 Crore per twin Engine and 2x Indian Avionics suite and for Su 57 M1E it will be 1000 Crore per plane includes 3×2=6 Engine Replacement 50 Crore per Engine and 2x Indian Avionics suite.
Thus Mig 35 is almost 2.96x=3× Cheaper than Rafaele in life cycle cost and Su 57E is 2.2 × Cheaper than Rafaele in life cycle cost giving equal or better quality.

So 750 Crore Mig 35; 1000 Crore Su 57M1; 1500 Crore Old Eurofighter Tranche 3 & 4 and last comes 2200 Crore Rafaele on full life Cycle Cost. Su57M1 will be having upperhand in performance alongwith Mig 35 then comes Eurofighter and last comes Rafaele say Oonchi Dukan Pheeka Pakwan.

Lifecycle cost of above 4 planes Mig 35, Su57M1, Old Eurofighter Tranche 3 & 4 and Rafaele will 17 Lac Crore Lump sum.

Total 8 lac Crore Tejas and AMCA life cycle cost and 6 Lac Crore Full Fleet Sukhoi 2x Upgrade. 9 lac Crore for lifecycle cost of armaments. So total 40 Lac Crore for Fifty Years means 80000 Crore per year static expenditure for IAF to maintain 140 Squadrons.

These are approximate estimates done by me only but may come out to be true. You can have your own Estimates and can not agree with my views as it is your choice.

Change of engine takes redesign of flight, it may take 2-3 years minimum time, the aerodynamics may alter.