Indian Air Force is the fourth largest operational Air Force in the world with the size of around 1,40,000 active personnel and about 1820 active aircraft. Its main responsibility is to secure India’s airspace during peacetime and armed conflicts. 88th Indian Airforce Day was celebrated on October 9, 2020 and it held special significance as the first batch of Rafale fighters was formally inducted on September 10, 2020. The Indian Airforce is planning to induct 400-450 indigenous aircraft of various types in the next decade. IAF’s mainstay in the next decade would be the Advance Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Let's take a look at IAF’s top 7 frontline fighter aircraft:
Rafale- One of the most highlighted defence purchases of 2020, the Rafale is a 4.5 generation fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It is a twin-engine fighter aircraft, equipped to carry out multiple missions simultaneously including anti-ship attacks, in-depth strikes and nuclear deterrence. India had signed a deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter aircraft. Out of the 36 aircraft, 8 have been delivered to India.
Mirage 2000- VajraThe Mirage 2000 is a single-engine 4th generation fighter aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation. The Mirage 2000 can reach top speeds of up to Mach 2.2 or 2,336 km/hour at high altitude while it can reach up to 1,110 km/hour at low altitude. It is mainly known for its capability of carrying out bombing operations. This fighter played a key role in the 1999 Kargil war and 2019’s Balakot airstrike.
MiG 21- BisonThe Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21 forms the backbone of IAF. It’s a single-engine single-seater aircraft with a maximum speed of 2,230 km/hr and carries one 23mm twin-barrel cannon with four R-60 close combat missiles. It is an all-weather multirole fighter aircraft. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was flying a MiG-21 which was shot down by Pakistani F-16 on February 27, 2019. Reportedly, one of the F-16s was shot down by the Indian MiG-21.
Sukhoi 30 MK- IThis multirole fighter aircraft is jointly developed by Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF. The Su-30MKI has a range of 3000 km with internal fuel and also has an in-flight refueling (IFR) probe. The fighter jets of the new squadron can also carry Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles.
Jaguar- Jaguar is a twin-engine, ground-attack fighter aircraft manufactured jointly by Breguet of France and British Aircraft Corporation. In addition to upgraded avionics, the Jaguar features modernized navigation, electronic warfare and weapons delivery system.
MiG 29- IAF is one of the biggest operators of MiG-29s. The fighter jet has been upgraded by the IAF and it is now known as the MiG-29 UPG. Being one of the most advanced Mig-29s in the world, the jet features RD-33 series 3 turbofan engine, IFR probe, an advanced weapon control system and avionics.
LCA Tejas- Tejas is a single-engine, single-seat, multirole light combat aircraft (LCA) developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). The aircraft can fly at a speed of Mach 1.8 (2,205 km/h) and at a maximum altitude of 15,200m.
