INDIA’S DWINDLING SQUADRON STRENGTH

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Context:  A mega 500-fighter aircraft acquisition process on the anvil for the armed forces; reaching the sanctioned 42 squadrons will take time and the immediate effort is to arrest the drawdown in strength, says Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari.

Details:

• The delayed process for the procurement of 114 multi-role fighter jets (MRFA) is set to take off soon and along with three different indigenous fighter development programmes, it will result in a mega 500-fighter aircraft acquisition process for the armed forces.
• This will arrest the dwindling fighter strength of the Indian Air Force and enable it to reach the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons.

Dwindling strength:

• The IAF is currently down to 31 fighter squadrons as against the sanctioned strength of 42, which is set to dwindle further as the remaining three MiG-21 squadrons are phased out by 2025.
• Additionally, several frontline aircraft in the inventory including the Jaguars, MIG-29s will begin phasing out by the end of the decade. For instance, by 2027-28 the first of the MIG-29s, inducted in the late 1980s, will start going out.
• In the last few years, the IAF has inducted two squadrons of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and two squadrons of Rafale fighter jets procured from France which pushed the squadron strength to 32.
• In January 2021, the IAF had signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 83 LCA MK-1A which it will start receiving from early 2024 onwards. Along with that the to-be-acquired 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) will help arrest the drawdown, the IAF said.
• A larger LCA-MK2 as well as the fifth generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) are under development. However, their availability in enough numbers will take some time.
• By the end of the decade, phasing out of other aircraft would also begin.
• Reaching 42 squadrons would take time and the immediate effort was to arrest the drawdown in strength.

As in August 2022

Steps being undertaken:

• The 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk1A that would begin coming in from next year followed by the LCA-Mk2 and fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) in the near future, along with the MRFA, would arrest this
• There is also a twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF) on the drawing board for the Navy’s aircraft carriers.

What is the status of the MIG-21 jets in the IAF?

• The MIG-21 was inducted into the IAF in the early 1960s and since then more than 800 variants of the supersonic fighter were inducted into service.
• It remained the frontline fighter jet of the force for a long time.
• During this period, there were over 400 accidents involving the jet which claimed the lives of around 200 pilots.
• Currently, there are four MIG-21 squadrons in service consisting of the upgraded Bison variant.
• IAF officials have stated that there is technical life still left in them.

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