Right now, India’s Air Force has Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, SEPECAT Jaguar, MiG-21 Bison, Tejas LCA Mk1, MiG-29, and Rafale jets. However, many of these are aging.
Indian Air Force Chief A.P. Singh has expressed his lack of trust in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which is a worrying sign for India. HAL was supposed to deliver 40 Tejas fighter jets to the Indian Air Force months ago, but the delivery has still not been completed. Meanwhile, countries like Pakistan and China are continuously strengthening their air forces.
The Air Chief’s frustration is understandable, as the Indian Air Force is facing a shortage of fighter jets, and the situation is becoming increasingly serious. He has urged HAL officials to improve their credibility and ensure timely deliveries.
Global air force rankings: Where does India stand?
A recent Global Firepower report has analyzed the air forces of different countries, ranking them based on the number of fighter jets, helicopters, and support aircraft they have.
According to the report:
- United States has the most powerful air force in the world.
- Russia holds the second position.
- China comes in third.
- India ranks fourth.
- South Korea is in fifth place.
- Japan is sixth.
- Pakistan is seventh.
While India is ranked fourth and Pakistan seventh, this ranking is based on the number of combat aircraft rather than overall capability. The Indian Air Force Chief’s concerns highlight the need for a stronger and more reliable defense manufacturing system to keep up with global competition.
World’s most powerful air forces
According to the Global Firepower report, the United States Air Force (USAF) is the most dominant, with more capability than Russia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea combined.
United States (Rank 1)
- Total Aircraft: Over 10,000
- Helicopters: 5,737
- Fighter Jets: 1,854
- Support Aircraft: 3,722
Russia (Rank 2)
Russia has only one-third of the air power of the U.S.
- Helicopters: 1,554
- Fighter Jets: 809
- Support Aircraft: 610
- Since the Ukraine war began in 2022, Russia has lost around 220 aircraft.
China (Rank 3)
China is rapidly modernizing its air force, making heavy investments in fifth-generation and sixth-generation fighter jets.
- Total Aircraft: 3,309
- Fighter Jets: 1,212
- Helicopters: 913
- Attack Helicopters: 281
- China is also developing supersonic fighter jets and is expected to surpass Russia soon, moving to second place in global rankings.
Pakistan air force strength
Pakistan has a total of 1,399 aircraft, out of which 979 are combat-ready.
- Fighter Jets: 328 (230 are battle-ready)
- Helicopters: 373 (261 are active)
- Attack Fighter Jets: 90 (63 are active)
Indian air force strength
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has a total of 2,229 aircraft, out of which 1,672 are combat-ready.
- Fighter Jets: 513 (385 are active)
- Attack Fighter Jets: 130 (98 are active)
- Combat Helicopters: 899 (674 are active)
- Attack Helicopters: 80 (60 are active)
Why is the Air Chief worried?
Compared to Pakistan, India has more aircraft, but it also has a much larger territory to defend. This makes air power even more critical.
The biggest concern for the Indian Air Force Chief is the delay in the production of Tejas MK-1A fighter jets. This delay weakens India’s combat capabilities.
- The Indian government signed a Rs. 48,000 crore (Rs. 480 billion) deal with HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) to supply 83 Tejas MK-1A fighter jets.
- HAL was supposed to deliver the first jet by March 31, 2024, but 10 months have passed, and the delivery has not happened.
- The main issue is that the engine, which is supplied by American company GE Aerospace, has not been delivered yet.
Fifth-generation fighter jet concern
India is already facing delays in getting Tejas fighter jets, but another major concern is China’s growing fleet of fifth-generation stealth fighter jets. China has two advanced stealth aircraft, the J-20 and J-35, and last year, Pakistan announced it would buy 40 J-35 jets from China. This means both of India’s key adversaries will have advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The big question is: Can the Indian Air Force handle both threats with its current fleet?
Right now, India’s Air Force has Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, SEPECAT Jaguar, MiG-21 Bison, Tejas LCA Mk1, MiG-29, and Rafale jets. However, many of these are aging. India urgently needs modern fighter jets.
To counter this, India is developing its own fifth-generation AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) project, but the first prototype will take at least 10 years to fly. Meanwhile, under the MRFA (Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft) project, India planned to buy 114 medium-range fighter jets, but the project was delayed for years. Only after repeated warnings from the Air Force did the government take action, but it is still unclear when the jets will be purchased.
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, when he was the Vice Chief of Air Staff, had previously said: “Self-reliance is good, but not at the cost of national security.”
