INDIGENOUS COMBAT JETS: THE FUTURE UNFOLDS

India is poised to build a robust defence industrial base for manufacturing cutting-edge aerial combat platforms and turbofan engines in the country. The time to act is now, argues AMARTYA SINHA

- AMARTYA SINHA

It is a widely endorsed fact that aerospace is the domain of the future and the one who controls it, will also control the planet. As of 2022, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has a combined strength of 30 squadrons. A total of six Mig-21 Bison squadrons will be retired by 2025. With the addition of one Rafale squadron, three Sukhoi30MKI squadrons, and two LCA-Tejas Mark-1 squadrons this year, the IAF will somehow be able to make up its strength for the retiring jets and maintain up to 30 combat jet squadrons (with no addition of any additional squadrons from the current levels). An additional squadron of Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft will also retire by 2027, thus bringing down the combined strength to 29 squadrons. So, there will be a total shortfall of 13 combat squadrons by 2030, if additional fighter jets are not ordered immediately.

Meanwhile, as the deal to procure 114 foreign fighter jets (dubbed as MMRCA 2.0) progresses, simultaneous efforts are also being made towards acquisition of indigenous fighter aircrafts for filling up the gaps. Technology intensive airpower requires faster replacement of assets due to quicker obsolescence. While IAF has a Plan-B to fight with what it has, if forced into conflict, but numbers are clearly not adequate to fully execute an air campaign in a two-front scenario. It is imperative of time that the IAF quickly rebuild the squadron strength and acquire modern fighters that are as good or better than the adversaries. Developing indigenous aircraft is critical for India to become a global power. China has already moved way ahead. The Light Combat AircraftTejas and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) are the main two indigenous combat aircraft projects and it is important to continuously monitor their progress.

ATMANIRBHARTA IN TURBOFAN TECHNOLOGY