Is The IAF Equipped For Two-Front War?

Reequipping the IAF with more AWACS, aerial tankers, upgrading Su-30 MKI fleet and acquiring adequate airborne recce assets, will make the IAF more capable of coping with a two-front war

- Wing Commander K.T. Sebastian (Retd)

India’s relations with china are deteriorating rapidly and could result in a war on the Northern border. In such a scenario, employment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will become inevitable. It is also possible that Pakistan may open another front against India in coordination with China. Pakistan could also permit People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter aircraft to undertake airstrikes against India from their air bases, which amounts to an act of war. Is the IAF equipped to handle a two-front war?

COMBAT FLEET

Against a sanctioned strength of 42 fighter squadrons, the IAF presently has 30. With two squadrons of Rafale jets and one MiG-29 squadron under induction, the strength will increase to 33 squadrons, consisting of MiG-21 Bison, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Su-30 MKI and Tejas light combat aircraft. The MiG21 Bison, Jaguar, Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 have all undergone mid-life upgrades which involved embedding their avionics with superior technology to add new weapons, improve weapon payload, weapon delivery accuracy, navigation and radar capabilities, categorising these as fourth-generation aircraft. The Rafale with AESA radar is a fourth plus generation fighter aircraft. The legendary J.R.D. Tata headed a committee in the early 1960s which recommended 65 combat squadrons for the IAF to face a three-front war against West Pakistan, East Pakistan and China. However, the government-sanctioned only 39.5 fighter combat squadrons, a figure that was later revised to 42 squadrons.