Race for Fighters: the IAF’s dilemma

Context: Recently, China has unveiled two stealth fighter jets which shows the technological prowess of the country. In contrast, India’s aircraft modernisation efforts are at various stages of development and not up to the mark, highlighting a gap in India’s defence preparedness.

Chinese Military Modernisation

• Advanced Fighters: 
  • China has fielded two fifth generation fighter jets:
    • J-35: medium fighter  
    • J-20: heavy fighter. This makes China the only country other than the U.S. with more than one fifth generation fighter. 
  • China unveiled two stealth fighter jets in tail-less configuration (speculated to be sixth gen-fighters)
    • One is a massive jet with delta-wing design & three engines, indicating long range capability. 
    • Second is a smaller twin-engine design with swept wings.
• China’s Air Force and Naval Aviation together constitute the largest aviation force in the Indo-Pacific region with over 1,300 fourth-generation fighters. They are equipped with technology comparable to the U.S. standards. 
• Collaboration: Pakistan has approved the procurement of 40 J-35s (fifth generation) from China.

India’s Aircraft Fleet:

• Indian Air Force (IAF) has 31 fighter squadrons as against the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons, significantly below the optimal readiness requirements.
  • Of the current 31 squadrons, the phase out of two MIG-21 squadrons has been extended due to the delayed deliveries of LCA-Mk1A. 
• IAF has acquired 36 Rafale (4.5 generation aircraft) from France through a government-to-government deal in 2016.
• India lacks a 5th generation fighter aircraft with no prospects of its induction, for at least a decade.

India’s Modernisation Plans

• Ambitious Acquisitions:
  • India plans to acquire over 500 fighter jets, primarily indigenously designed and manufactured. 
• Key Projects:
  • LCA-MK1A (Tejas): Indian Air Force has placed an order of 83 units of LCA-MK1A with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). A deal for 97 additional Mk1As is under discussion.
    • Their delivery has been delayed due to supply chain issues with the F-404 engines by General Electric (GE). 
    • The HAL Tejas is an indigenous single-engine 4th-generation multirole light fighter aircraft, developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and manufactured by HAL. 
• LCA-MK2 (Tejas 2): Production of the LCA Mark 2 combat aircraft is expected to start in 2029-2030.
  • LCA Mark 2 is a 4.5 generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, an improved version of LCA Tejas fighter jet. 
  • It would be powered by GE-414 engine (a high-performance afterburning turbofan engine).
  • IAF plans to have about six squadrons of Tejas Mk2.
• AMCA MK-2 (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft): The AMCA Mk2 is expected to go into mass production only after the year 2035.
  • AMCA-Mk2 is a 5th generation stealth fighter. It is currently the only 5th generation fighter under development in India.
• Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TED-BF) for Navy:
  • The first prototype of TED-BF could make its maiden flight by 2026 and be ready for production by 2031.
  • TEDBF will serve as a replacement for the aging fleet of MiG-29Ks and is designed to meet the Navy's specific requirements.
• Procurement of 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA):
  • The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently revealed its intent to conduct an open tender for the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) project, aiming to procure 114 jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Challenges in India’s Aircraft Modernisation:

• Delay in Acquisitions:
  • Delayed deliveries of LCA-Mk1A and LCA-MK2 (Tejas 2).
  • AMCA Mk2 (5th gen aircraft) will take a decade to be operational. 
• Squadron Shortfalls:
  • The IAF is down to a mere 31 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42.
  • This number will go down further when the last two remaining squadrons of the MiG-21s are phased out by the end of 2025.
  • Jaguars, Mirage-2000s and MIG-29s will begin to phase out between 2030-2035.
  • Even with the LCA-Mk1A, LCA-Mk2 and the MRFA, IAF will still be at 35-36 squadrons by 2035.
• Dependence on Foreign Engines:
  • India is dependent on imported engines, directly or ‘co-manufactured’ to power all indigenous jets and helicopters. E.g., License manufacturing for the F-414 engine (from the US) or the new 110KN engine (from France) makes India dependent on these countries for the most critical parts.
  • India cannot claim to be fully self-reliant till it can field an aero-engine that is completely designed and developed in the country.