Indian Defense
Air Marshal Chaudhari Knows The Mess IAF Is In; Must Push The Govt For More Fighter Aircraft
Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, presently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will take over as the Chief of the Indian Air Force next week. And the new Air Chief would hardly have time to breathe easy because his ‘to do’ list is a lengthy one.
The Narendra Modi government’s move to appoint him as the Vice Chief in July was critical — he got the time to understand the crucial juncture at which the IAF currently stands. Before this, he had a ringside view.
Ideally, rather than announcing appointments of Chief of Services just days before the incumbent retires, the government should give the name at least a month in advance. This helps the successor gather their thoughts, prioritise and be part of the decision-making even if it is on an informal basis.
Air Marshal Chaudhari is lucky to have served in crucial positions in the Air Headquarters, including as the Deputy Chief in charge of planning and procurement. He was also the Western Air Commander and Senior Air Staff Officer in the Eastern Air Command. But being in the hot seat means he would no longer be an observer and will have to take decisions crucial to the IAF, which is facing huge modernisation challenges.
Thankfully for him, the incumbent ACM RKS Bhadauria has initiated a lot of work and closed several emergency procurement contracts that will help the force in both short and long term, especially in the area of missiles and communication.
Theatre Commands
For Air Marshal Chaudhari, the IAF is standing at the brink of the biggest defence reform that the Indian military will see – Theaterisation. There is no doubt that a unified command, unified procurement, joint planning and operations will bear rich fruits. But it is also a fact that the IAF has its own views on Theaterisation and how it should come about. The last few months have been acrimonious to say the least with reservations over the structure of theatre commands coming out sharply in public.
All eyes would be on Air Marshal Chaudhari to see how he handles this vexed issue and the public perception around it.
Depleting Fighter Strength
The biggest challenge for the new IAF chief would be to tackle the depleting fighter aircraft squadron strength. Presently, the IAF is down to a squadron strength of 30 as against the sanctioned strength of 42.
Getting more fighters will be the main focus of Air Marshal Chaudhry. Having been the Deputy Chief in charge of procurement, he is well aware of the mess that the IAF is in right now. In actual terms, 30 Squadrons don’t mean 30 squadrons because the availability ratio of some of the aircraft types is just abysmal to say the least. Which means that on a given day, the actual availability of aircraft is less because most are in for servicing or down due to unavailability of spare parts.
The new IAF chief will have to push the government to decide on either setting off another round of competition with an open tender for 114 fighters or getting more Rafales. Either way, any delay will affect the capability of the Air Force in both short-and long term.
There have been reports stating that the IAF has been asked to rationalise its squadron strength due to the enhanced capability of Rafale aircraft and the upcoming induction of S-400 air defence system. But there is yet no clarity on how S-400 can replace the need for a fighter aircraft. It is like saying there is no need to buy bullets because we now have a bullet-proof jacket.
Neither does induction of two squadrons of Rafale mean that the IAF can knock down their planned requirement of 42 squadrons, which also included 126 Medium Multi Role Aircraft for which the French fighters were selected in 2012.
I had reported in 2019 that the situation is so bleak that, according to IAF projections, even if all existing orders for 36 Rafales, six squadrons of Tejas (including TEJAS MK-1A) and two more squadrons of Sukhoi Su30MKI are taken into account, the squadron strength will reduce to 27 by 2032 and a mere 19 by 2042. This is because existing squadrons of MiG 21 Bisons and Jaguars, and even Mirage 2000s and MiG 29 will be phased out over the next two decades.
But what happens when we take into account the induction of TEJAS MK-2 (still in design phase), 114 new fighters (a decision on this project is yet to be taken), and the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (still in design phase)?
Even in the best case scenario, the IAF will not reach its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons by 2042.
And if one assumes that all the three futuristic aircraft are inducted as planned, the squadron strength will still only be 37 by 2042. The last time the IAF had 42 squadrons was way back in 2002.
Induction of Advanced Drones, Refuelers, Space Tech
Contrary to popular perception, India has been an early starter when it came to drones. Way back in the 1980s, the IAF started using the Chukar drones manufactured by the US. It then went in for the Searcher drones from Israel and followed them up with the more capable Herons. India has been using loitering munitions for nearly two decades. But the country seems to have lost its way in between.
The need of the hour is to imbibe more of loitering munitions and various kinds of drones – armed, long-range surveillance and even swarm drones.
Also on the agenda of the new IAF Chief will be to scale up India’s capability in mid-air refuelling and its space capabilities that fall under IAF’s ambit.
The IAF Chief has his plate full to transform the Air Force into a modern fighting force, capable of not just defending its borders but for force projection outside.
Indian Defense
INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’
The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.
“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.
India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.
Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.
The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.
Indian Defense
After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%
India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade
In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.
The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.
This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.
In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.
Indian Defense
Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace
According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.
Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System
BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.
Akash Weapon System
The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.
The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.
The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.
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