Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force. Indian Army. Geopolitics. Strategic Airlift

Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV

Modern India is a rapidly developing state on a global scale. Its importance as a powerful aerospace power is constantly growing. For example, the country has its own modern SHAR spaceport on the island of Sriharikata, a well-equipped space flight control center, a developed national rocket and space industry, which develops and mass-produces launch vehicles capable of launching payloads into space (including geostationary orbits). The country has already entered the international space services market and has experience in launching foreign satellites into space. They also have their own cosmonauts, and the first of them, Air Force Major Rokesh Sharma, went into space on the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft back in April 1984.

The Air Force of the Republic of India is the youngest branch of the national armed forces. Officially, the date of their formation is considered to be October 8, 1932, when in Rusal Pur (now located in Pakistan), the British colonial administration began the formation of the first aviation squadron of the Royal British Air Force from representatives of the local population. The Indian Air Force High Command was formed only after the country gained independence in 1947.

Currently Indian air Force are the most numerous and combat-ready among all the states of South Asia and are even among the top ten largest and most powerful air forces in the world. In addition, they have real and quite rich experience in combat operations.

Organizationally, the Air Force of the Republic of India consists of a headquarters (located in Delhi), a training command, a logistics command (MTO) and five operational (regional) air commands (AC):

Western AK with headquarters in Palama (Delhi region): its task is to provide air defense large territory, from Kashmir to Rajasthan, including the capital of the state. At the same time, given the complexity of the situation in the region of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, a separate task force has been formed there;

South-West AK (headquarters in Gandhi Nagar): its area of ​​​​responsibility is defined as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra;

Central AK with headquarters in Allahabad (another name is Ilahabad): the area of ​​​​responsibility includes almost the entire Indo-Gangetic plain;

Eastern AK (headquarters in Shillong): implementation of air defense of the eastern regions of India, Tibet, as well as territories on the borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar;

Southern AK (headquarters in Trivandrum): formed in 1984, responsible for airspace security in the southern part of the country.

The MTO Command, whose headquarters is located in Nagpur, is responsible for various warehouses, repair shops (enterprises) and aircraft storage parks.

The Training Command has its headquarters in Bangalore and is responsible for combat training of air force personnel. It has a developed network of educational institutions of various ranks, most of which are located in southern India. Basic flight training for future pilots is carried out at the Air Force Academy (Dandgal), and pilots undergo further training at special schools in Bidar and Hakimpet on TS training aircraft. 11 "Iskra" and "Kiran". In the near future, the Indian Air Force will also receive Hawk MI 32 jet trainer aircraft. In addition, the training command also has special training centers such as the College air war(College of Air Warfare).

There is also an interspecific joint Far Eastern Command of the Armed Forces (also called the Andaman-Nicobar Command) with headquarters in Port Blair, to which the Air Force units stationed in that area are operationally subordinate.

This branch of the Indian Armed Forces is headed by the commander of the air force (locally called the chief of air staff), usually with the rank of air chief marshal. Major Air Force Bases (MAB): Allahabad, Bam Rauli, Bangalore, Dundigal (where the Indian Air Force Academy is located), Hakimpet, Hyderabad, Jam Nagar, Jojpur, Nagpur, Delhi and Shill Long. There are also more than 60 other primary and reserve air bases and airfields in different parts of India.

According to official data, the total strength of the Indian Air Force reaches 110 thousand people. This type of national armed forces of the republic is armed with more than 2,000 combat and combat aircraft and helicopters. auxiliary aviation, including:

Fighter-bombers

Fighters and air defense fighters

About 460;

Reconnaissance aircraft - 6;

Transport aircraft - more than 230;

Training and combat training aircraft - more than 400;

Fire support helicopters - about 60;

Multi-purpose, transport and communication helicopters - about 600.

In addition, several dozen air defense divisions are subordinate to the Air Force command, which are armed with more than 150 anti-aircraft missile systems of various types, mainly Soviet and Russian-made (the newest are 45 Tunguska M-1 air defense missile systems).

Mikoyan Design Bureau aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force are in parade formation

Jaguar fighter-bomber and MiG-29 fighter of the Indian Air Force

Fighter-bomber MiG-27ML "Bahadur"

On special situation There are also special forces of the Indian Air Force, whose units are called Garud. Its task is to defend the most important Air Force facilities and conduct anti-terrorist and anti-sabotage operations.

It should, however, be emphasized that due to the fairly high accident rate in the Indian Air Force, it is not possible at the moment to accurately indicate the quantitative composition of their aircraft fleet. For example, according to the regionally authoritative magazine Aircraft & Aerospace Asia-Pacific, only for the period 1993-1997. The Indian Air Force lost a total of 94 aircraft and helicopters of various types. Partial losses, of course, are made up for through licensed production of aircraft at Indian aircraft factories or additional purchases, but, firstly, partially, and secondly, this does not happen quickly enough.

The main tactical unit of the Indian Air Force has traditionally been the aviation squadron (AE), which averages up to 18 aircraft. According to the provisions of the currently ongoing reform of the armed forces, by 2015 there should be 41 combat aircraft (including helicopters and attack helicopters). Moreover, at least a third of their total number should be squadrons equipped with multi-purpose aircraft - most of them Su-ZOMKI. According to data at the beginning of 2007, the national air force had more than 70 air forces, including:

Fighter air defense - 15;

Fighter-assault - 21;

Naval aviation - 1;

Intelligence - 2;

Transport - 9;

Refueling tankers - 1;

Helicopter strikes - 3;

Helicopter transport, communications and surveillance - over 20,

Despite the impressive aircraft and helicopter park, the Indian Air Force is currently experiencing quite serious difficulties in maintaining all aircraft in normal condition technical condition. According to many analysts, a significant part of Soviet-made planes and helicopters are technically and morally outdated and are not in a combat-ready state. The Indian Air Force, as noted earlier, also has high accident rates, which is also most likely a consequence of the low technical readiness of older types of aircraft and helicopters. Thus, according to the Indian Ministry of Defense, from 1970 to June 4, 2003, 449 aircraft were lost: 31 Jaguars, 4 Mirages and 414 MiGs of various types. IN Lately this figure has improved somewhat - to 18 aircraft in 2002 (i.e. 2.81 aircraft for every 1000 flight hours) and even less in subsequent years - but still quite significantly thins out the ranks of Indian aviation.

This state of affairs cannot but cause concern among the command of the national air force and the armed forces as a whole. It is therefore not surprising that the Air Force budget for FY 2004-2005. increased significantly and amounted to about $1.9 billion. At the same time, financing for the purchase of aviation equipment, ammunition and equipment is carried out on separate items from the general budget of the armed forces, which for this period amounted to $15 billion (an increase of 9.45% in compared to the previous financial year is about 2.12% of GDP) plus another 5.7 billion dollars - expenditures on R&D and arms and military equipment purchases during 2004-2007.

There are two ways to solve problems with the aviation fleet. This is the modernization of old and the purchase of new aviation equipment and weapons. The first, of course, includes the ongoing modernization program for 125 MiG-21bis fighters (the MiG-21 in various modifications was supplied by the Soviet Union and produced in India under license, and the first group of design bureau employees arrived in the country to organize local production of these aircraft back in 1965). The new modification received the designation MiG-21-93 and is equipped with a modern Kopye radar (JSC Fazotron-NIIR Corporation), the latest avionics, etc. The modernization program was completed in the first quarter of 2005.

L and ney of MiG-29 fighters

Other countries did not stand aside either. For example, the Ukrainian company Ukrspetsexport signed an agreement in 2002 with an estimated cost of about $15 million regarding the overhaul of six MiG-23UB combat trainer aircraft from the 220th air squadron. As part of the work carried out by the Chuguev Aircraft Repair Plant of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, repairs were carried out on the R-27F2M-300 engines (the direct contractor here was the Lugansk Aircraft Repair Plant), airframe, etc. The aircraft were transferred to the Indian Air Force in pairs in June, July and August 2004.

New equipment is also being purchased. Main program here, without a doubt, is the acquisition of 32 multifunctional Su-ZOMKI fighters and the licensed production of another 140 aircraft of this type already on the territory of India itself (Russia was given a “deep license” without the right to re-export these aircraft). The cost of these two contracts is estimated at almost 4.8 billion dollars. A special feature of the Su-ZOMKI program is that the aircraft is widely represented by avionics of Indian, French, English and Israeli design, which was successfully integrated by Russian specialists into the on-board complex of the fighter.

The first Su-30s (in the “K” modification) were included in the 24th fighter-attack AE “Hunting Falcons,” subordinate to the Southwestern Aviation Command. The latter's area of ​​responsibility is the most strategically important areas adjacent to Pakistan and rich in oil, natural gas, etc. reserves, including on the sea shelf. By the way, almost all MiG-29 fighters are at the disposal of the same command. This testifies to the high appreciation given to Russian aircraft by the Indian military and politicians.

The Su-ZOMKIs supplied by the Irkut Corporation were officially adopted by the Indian Air Force and included in the combat strength of the 20th Fighter-Assault Air Force based at the Lohegaon Air Force Base near the city of Pune. The ceremony was attended by the country's former defense minister George Fernandez.

However, back on June 11, 1997, during the official ceremony of incorporation of the first eight Su-ZOK into the Air Force, held at the Lohegaon Air Force Base, the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Satish Kumar Sari, stated that “The Su-ZOK is the most advanced fighter, completely meeting the present and future needs of the Air Force.” Representatives of the air force command of neighboring Pakistan have repeatedly expressed and continue to express “deep concern” about the entry of such modern aircraft into service with Indian aviation. Thus, according to them, “forty Su-30 aircraft have the same destructive power as 240 old-type aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force, and have a greater range than the Prithvi missiles.” (Bill Sweetman. Looking to a fighter future. Jane's International Defense Review. February 2002, pp. 62-65)

In India, these aircraft are produced at the factories of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which has invested about $160 million in installing a new assembly line. The transfer of the first Su-30MKI assembled in India took place on November 28, 2004. The last licensed fighter should be transferred to the troops no later than 2014 (previously it was planned to complete the program by 2017).

It should be especially noted that Indian sources have repeatedly expressed the opinion that the newest Russian aircraft will be able to join the list of delivery vehicles nuclear weapons India. Especially if negotiations on the purchase of Tu-22MZ bombers, which have a flight range of about 2200 km and a maximum combat load of 24 tons, end in nothing. And, as you know, the military-political leadership of India attaches great importance to increasing the combat capabilities of the Strategic Nuclear Forces Command created on January 4, 2003, which was headed by a former fighter pilot and now Air Marshal T. Asthana (former commander of the Southern Aviation Command of the Indian Air Force ).

Upgraded MiG-21-93 fighter

Transport helicopter Mi-8T

As for the nuclear weapons themselves, according to available data, in 1998, during the tests carried out in the Rajasthan desert at the Pokhran army training ground nuclear tests Indian specialists used and aerial bombs power less than one kiloton. These are the ones they plan to hang under the “drying racks”. Considering the presence of refueling tankers in the Indian Air Force, the Su-30MKI, as a carrier of low-power nuclear weapons, can truly turn into a strategic weapon.

In 2004, one of the most pressing problems of the Indian Air Force was finally solved - providing it with modern training aircraft. As a result of a contract worth $1.3 billion signed with the British company VAB Systems, Indian pilots will receive 66 Hawk Mk132 jet trainers.

The Government Committee on Armed Forces Procurement approved this agreement back in September 2003, but the final decision was traditionally timed to coincide with an important event, which was the Defexpo lndia-2004 exhibition, held in February 2004 in the country's capital. Of the 66 aircraft ordered, 42 will be assembled directly in India at the enterprises of the national company HAL, and the first batch of 24 aircraft will be assembled at the BAE Systems plants in Brough (East Yorkshire) and Warton (Lancashire). The Indian version of the Hawk will be in many ways similar to the Hawk Mk115, which is used as part of the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) pilot training program.

The changes will affect some cockpit equipment, and all American-made systems will also be removed. To replace it and some of the English equipment, a similar one will be installed, but designed and manufactured in India. The so-called “glass” cockpit will feature a Head Down Multi-Function Display, a Head Up Display and a Hands-On-Throttie-And-Stick control system. , or NOT AS).

In addition, the program to create the HJT-36 intermediate training aircraft (Indian sources use the name Intermediate Jet Trainer, or IJT) by the Indian aerospace industry, designed to replace the outdated HJT-16 Kiran aircraft, is also progressing successfully. The first prototype of the HJT-36 aircraft, which has been developed and built by HAL since July 1999, completed a successful test flight on March 7, 2003.

Another undoubted success of the Indian defense industry can be considered the Dhruv helicopter, designed on its own, designed to gradually replace the large fleet of Chita and Chitak helicopters. The official adoption of the new helicopter into service with the Indian Armed Forces took place in March 2002. Since then, several dozen machines have been delivered to the troops (both the Air Force and the Army), which are undergoing intensive testing. It is expected that over the next years at least 120 Dhruv helicopters will enter the armed forces of the republic. Moreover, the latter also has a civilian modification, which the Indians are promoting to the international market. There are already real and potential customers for these rotorcraft.-

Fighter "Mirage" 2000N

Transport aircraft An-32

Realizing that in modern conditions The presence of AWACS aircraft in the Air Force has already become a vital necessity; on March 5, 2004, the Indian command entered into a contract with the Israeli company IAI for the supply of three sets of the Phalcon AWACS system, which will be installed on Il-76 aircraft specially converted for this purpose. The AWACS complex includes a radar with a phased antenna array E 1/ M-2075 from Elta, communication and data exchange systems, as well as electronic reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures equipment. Almost all information on the Phalcon system is classified, but some Israeli and Indian sources claim that its characteristics are superior to a similar complex of the Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft, also developed on the basis of the Il-76 transport aircraft (as for Indian specialists, they can do such statements, since in the summer of 2000 they had the opportunity to get a closer look at the Russian “awax” during Air Force exercises, in which two A-50s specifically took part. (Ranjit B. Rai. Airpower in India - a review of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, Asian Military Review, Volume 11, Issue 1, February 2003, p. 44. The contract value is $1.1 billion, of which India has committed to pay $350 million in advance payment within 45 days. from the date of signing of the agreement.The first aircraft will be handed over to the Indian Air Force in November 2007, the second in August 2008 and the last in February 2009.

It should be noted that the Indians tried to solve this issue on their own and developed a project to convert several HS.748 transport aircraft, produced in India under an English license, into an AWACS aircraft (the program was called ASP). The mushroom-shaped fairing of the radar, located on the fuselage closer to the tail, has a diameter of 4.8 m and was supplied by the German concern DASA. The conversion work was entrusted to HAL's Kanpur office. The prototype aircraft made its first flight at the end of 1990. But then the program was suspended.

Implementation of the new military doctrine The Indian Armed Forces demanded that the aviation command create a fleet of tanker aircraft. The presence of such aircraft will allow the Indian Air Force to accomplish its missions at a completely different level. According to the contract concluded in 2002, India received six Il-78MKI refueling tankers, the construction of which was entrusted to the Tashkent Aviation Plant. Each Il can take on board 110 tons of fuel and refuel seven aircraft in one flight (Mirage and Su-30K/MKI have been identified as the first candidates for working with tankers). The cost of one aircraft is about $28 million. It is interesting that the Israeli aviation industry “took a piece” here too, concluding a contract to equip the Ilovs themselves with an in-flight refueling system.

The Indian company HAL continues the development program for the national light combat aircraft LCA, which began back in 1983. The technical specifications for the aircraft were formulated by the Indian Air Force in 1985, three years later under a contract worth $10 million, the French company Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation completed the design of the aircraft, and in 1991 the construction of an experimental LCA began. Initially, the new aircraft was scheduled to enter service in 2002, but the program began to stall and was constantly postponed. The main reason is the shortage financial resources and technical difficulties faced by Indian specialists.

In the medium term, we should expect the entry into service of a new Russian-Indian transport aircraft, which has so far received the designation Il-214. The corresponding agreement was signed during a visit to Delhi on February 5-8, 2002 by a Russian delegation consisting of representatives of several ministries and departments, headed by the then Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of Russia Ilya Klebanov. At the same time, the second meeting of the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation was held. The main developer of the aircraft is Russia, and its production will be carried out at the factories of the Russian corporation Irkut and the Indian company HAL.

However, according to the Indian military, the main emphasis in the near term should be on the purchase of the latest ammunition, mainly precision weapons air-to-surface class, which is practically non-existent in the Indian Air Force. According to Indian sources, the vast majority of modern Indian aviation weapons are conventional bombs and obsolete missiles of various classes. In the current conditions of high-tech warfare, guided bombs, “smart” medium- and long-range missiles, as well as other new means of armed warfare are required.

Joint aerobatics of MiG-29 and F-15 during one of the US-Indian exercises

In November 2004, the Indian Air Force command tentatively approved a work plan that provides for greater use of allocated this species armed forces budget funds for the purchase of aviation weapons. It is expected that about $250 million will be allocated annually to the Air Force Commander for these purposes.

It should be especially noted that it is planned to equip the unmanned aircraft of the Searcher, Mark-2 and Hero types available to the Air Force with small-caliber guided ammunition with GPS receivers and modern reconnaissance and surveillance systems for their effective use in mountainous areas (mainly on the border with Pakistan). As a priority measure to strengthen the air defense of aviation groups, the Air Force command proposed to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense to supply the troops with at least 10 divisions of the Shord short-range air defense system.

The Indian military-political leadership strives for the full development of military-technical cooperation with various foreign countries, not wanting to become dependent on any one partner. The longest history goes back to military-technical ties with Great Britain (which is quite natural, given the country’s long colonial past) and Russia. However, Delhi is gradually gaining new partners.

In 1982, a memorandum of understanding (in the rank of a long-term intergovernmental agreement) was signed between India and France on military-technical cooperation, including the supply of arms and military equipment, licensed production of a number of weapons and military equipment. The possibility of so-called technology transfer is also provided. For the most effective implementation Agreement, an intergovernmental advisory group was created.

This was followed by Israel, with which India has established fairly strong relations in various fields, and the United States has become the most “recent” partner. The latter, in September 2002, in the new National Security Strategy for the first time gave India the status of a “strategically important partner.”

A mutual decision to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries was made back in November 2001 during a summit meeting between American President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. On September 21, 2004, negotiations were held in Washington between the US President and the new Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh. The meeting, during which a wide range of issues were discussed in such important areas as bilateral cooperation, regional security and the development of economic ties, took place just a few days after the signing on September 17 by India and the United States of an important document on the lifting of American restrictions on the export of equipment for Indian facilities. nuclear energy. Export licensing procedures for US companies in commercial space programs were also simplified, and the Indian Space Research Organization (fSRO) disappeared from the US Commerce Department's blacklist.

These activities are carried out within the framework of the first stage of a long-term strategic cooperation program, announced in January 2004 and aimed at eliminating all barriers to bilateral cooperation in the field of high technology, commercial use of outer space and strengthening the policy of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). In American circles it is often called “Next Steps in Strategic Partnership” (NSSP),

In the second phase of the NSSP, the main focus is on continuing to remove barriers to closer cooperation in the field of high technologies, and joint steps to strengthen the regime of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies.

If we talk about Russia, then for it close cooperation with India, including in the military-technical sphere, is vital. India is not only a “priority” buyer of our weapons, but also a strategic ally, actually covering our borders from the South Asian direction. Not to mention that India is the dominant power in the South Asian region today. In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that only with India Russia has a long-term “Military-Technical Cooperation Program”, originally designed for the period until 2000, but now extended until 2010. And our military-political leadership must under no circumstances miss initiative in this matter.

Image caption The latest crash of an Indian MiG-21 occurred during landing - the most difficult maneuver

The Delhi High Court is considering a lawsuit by a pilot of the country's Air Force demanding that the world's most common fighter aircraft, the MiG-21, be declared an object that violates the human right to life.

Moreover, we are not talking about the lives of those against whom this plane can be used - a lawsuit was filed by Indian Air Force pilot, wing commander Sanjit Singh Kayla, who claims that the plane not only violates his right to life, but also does not ensure the right to safe conditions labor, which is guaranteed by the country's constitution.

He filed the claim in court on July 17, 48 hours after the MiG-21 crash near the Nal airbase in Rajistan, in which a young Indian pilot died.

The court accepted the application and adjourned the hearing until October 10 to study the list of accidents involving these aircraft.

Public data released to the press says that out of more than 900 MiG-21s that the Indian Air Force received, more than 400 aircraft crashed. More than 130 pilots were killed.

There have been 29 accidents in the Indian Air Force in the last three years. 12 of them involved the MiG-21. In India, this aircraft, which was the mainstay of the fighter fleet for decades, was nicknamed the “flying coffin”.

True, the MiG’s opponent in the Indo-Pakistani war, the American F-104 fighter, received exactly the same nickname among its pilots.

"Balalaika"

The second generation supersonic jet fighter MiG-21 was created at the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau in the mid-1950s.

In all respects, the new MiG turned out to be an order of magnitude more complex and technologically advanced than its predecessor, the MiG-19. In the Soviet Air Force, it was immediately nicknamed “balalaika” for its characteristic shape of triangular wings.

This number takes into account fighters produced in India, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, but does not take into account Chinese copies- J7 fighters (that is, in fact, even more of them were produced).

India decided to purchase the MiG-21 in 1961. Deliveries began in 1963, and a few years later the MiG, along with another heavy fighter Su-7 took part in the war with Pakistan.

This aircraft changed the situation in the Indian Air Force and raised it to a whole new level.

"Wonderful lady"

During the Indo-Pakistani conflict, he played an important role in air battles, and in many ways, it was then that a special attitude towards him arose among Indian pilots.

Among them, many, if not the majority, do not at all share the opinion of Sanjeet Singh Kail, who filed an application in court.

“It was the best fighter of its time. How long has it been flying with us, 40 years? And it’s still in service. It’s just a wonderful plane,” retired Colonel General of the Indian Air Force Yogi Rai told the BBC Russian Service.

Another Indian Air Force general, Anil Tipnis, published an article on the Indian military-analytical website Bharat Rakshak entitled “My Fair Lady - An Ode to the MiG-21.”

"Over four decades, the MiG-21 has become the basis air defense India both in peace and in war time. He vigilantly defended the country day and night,” the general wrote in his note.

MiG does not forgive mistakes

However, the number of accidents and disasters is an indisputable fact. The number of MiG-21s destroyed as a result of accidents, the number of pilots killed in these accidents, is greater than the number of pilots killed by the enemy.

Retired Indian Air Force Colonel General Yogi Rai explained this simply: “The number of MiG-21s in the Indian Air Force is large, they are actively used, and accordingly the number of accidents is also high.” However, there are other versions.

First of all, as Vladimir V., a graduate of the Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School, who himself learned to fly the MiG-21, told the BBC, this aircraft, due to its flight characteristics, is difficult to control - it did not forgive mistakes of an inexperienced pilot.

With a very small wing area it was designed for high speed flight, but landing the aircraft required great skill.

“They joked about the 21st: “Why does he need wings?” “So that the cadets wouldn’t be afraid to fly.” It was very strict on the speed there. If you couldn’t handle the power, you turned it off, then that’s it – it was a failure, the vertical speed was high, and that’s all,” said the pilot.

Moreover, due to the same design feature, the plane could not glide - if it began to fall, then it was only possible to eject.

True, other fighters of this generation also suffered from the same disease - in the USSR the Su-7 was considered the most dangerous; in the Air Forces of Western countries there were legends about the disasters of the enemy MiG-21 - the American F-104 fighter, whose accident rate corresponded to the levels of the Indian MiG-21.

The latter, being conceptually close to the MiG-21, also suffered from the fact that it was prepared for high-speed flights, and not for a comfortable landing.

Spare parts

Over the past 10-15 years, as far as I know, after Soviet Union became Russia, incoming spare parts must be... checked by Uday Baskar
Indian military expert

The MiG-21, which crashed near the Nal airbase in Rajistan, fell during landing. There are no official reports about the reasons for its fall, but it is known that it was piloted by an inexperienced pilot.

In India, as many experts note, there is a problem with cadets mastering high-speed aircraft - they do not have time to gain experience when transferring from training to high-speed aircraft.

Another problem is spare parts. As Uday Baskar, one of the leading Indian military experts, said in an interview with the BBC, the military has many complaints against Russian enterprises regarding the quality of aircraft spare parts.

“Over the last 10-15 years, as far as I know, after the Soviet Union became Russia, incoming spare parts need to be... checked,” he said, emphasizing that this is not the official position of the Indian Air Force, but his personal opinion.

The problem of spare parts for MiGs really exists. Perhaps for reasons that the Indian analyst carefully noted, and perhaps for other reasons, India purchases spare parts for fighter jets not only from Russia, but also from other countries.

In May 2012 Russian ambassador in India, Alexander Kadakin said that Indian MiGs are being destroyed due to counterfeit spare parts, advising them to be purchased only in Russia.

Diversification of supplies

Currently, about a hundred MiG-21 fighters remain in service with the Indian Air Force. They will be permanently phased out as new aircraft become available - a competition for the supply of 126 fighters worth more than $10 billion was recently completed in India.

Participated in the tender Russian fighter MiG-35, which ultimately lost to the French Rafale.

In addition, Russia also lost in competitions for the supply of military transport and attack helicopters.

In each specific case, experts note that the loss can be explained by the non-compliance of Russian devices with technical specifications.

However, there is a general trend - India, which for decades depended on arms supplies from the USSR, now wants to try Western weapons.

And this means the MiG-21, which guarded the Indian skies for four decades, will soon remain only in the memory of Indians - as a reliable defender and a not very reliable aircraft.

The Indians plan to turn the country into one of the most powerful and modern forces in the world with a networked interaction architecture. The Indian Air Force has prepared a comprehensive long-term development program LTPP (Long Term Perspective Plan) until 2027 with the aim of possibly countering all predicted threats from the air. The government will allocate appropriate funds for this.

Ambitious tasks are achieved through the implementation of three main programs:
— purchase of new aircraft to renew the fleet;
— modernization of construction equipment;
— full staffing of aviation units with personnel of the highest level and their continuous training.

At one time, the Indian Aviation magazine reported that the Indian Air Force planned to spend $70 billion on the purchase of new equipment and modernization of its fleet from 2012 to 2021. And according to the publication Pakistan Defense, the director of the commission for inspection and safety of flights, Air Marshal Reddy, said in November 2013 at the opening of the 8th International Conference on Accelerating the Development of the Indian Aerospace Industry that in the next 15 years, Indian The Air Force will spend $150 billion on defense procurement.

For many decades, the Indian Air Force was limited primarily to one source of supply - the USSR/Russia. Most of the equipment purchased from us is now outdated. Today, the Indian military is alarmed by the decline in the combat effectiveness of its aircraft fleet and a number of other indicators. Meanwhile, the long and vigorous efforts of the Defense Research and Development Organization of India (DRDO) and the local aerospace industry have not yet been able to provide the Indian Air Force with the capabilities it expects.

Almost complete dependence on foreign suppliers of promising technologies and advanced equipment is potentially the main factor that could threaten the combat effectiveness of the national air force.

Procurement of new aircraft

The main challenge facing the Indian Air Force at present is the acquisition and integration of military platforms based on the latest technological principles and modernization of combat equipment. The list of weapons and military equipment (military equipment) to be purchased by the Air Force is impressive.

In the next decade, 460 fighter aircraft alone are planned to be put into operation.. These include the light combat LCA ( light combat airctaft) "Tejas" (148 units), 126 French Rafal fighters, which won the MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) tender, 144 fifth-generation fighters FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft), which are planned to be received from 2017 year, an additional 42 Su-30MK2 multirole fighters, requirements have already been issued for their production for the local company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Also, the Air Force will take into service 75 training aircraft (UTS) of basic training "Pilatus", two more - long-range radar detection and control (AWACS and U) based on the Russian Il-76 transport aircraft, ten military transport C -17 produced by Boeing, 80 medium-class helicopters, 22 attack helicopter, 12 VIP-class helicopters.

According to the Financial Express newspaper, in the near future the Indian Air Force may sign the largest military contracts in the history of its military-technical cooperation with foreign countries totaling $25 billion. The plans include a long-awaited deal for the supply of 126 fighters under the MMRCA combat aircraft program ($12 billion), a contract for the purchase of three C-130J aircraft for special operations forces, 22 AH-64 Apache Longbow attack helicopters (1.2 billion dollars), 15 heavy military transport helicopters CH-47 Chinook ($1.4 billion), as well as six A330 MRTT tanker aircraft ($2 billion).

According to Indian Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Brown, five major deals worth $25 billion are close to being signed in the current financial year (until March 2014).

Concerning missile weapons, then the Indian Air Force has 18 launchers of anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM) in its arsenal medium range MRSAM (Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles), four Spider launchers for 49 short-range SRSAM (Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles) missiles and eight Akash missile launchers. The Air Force has developed a multi-stage plan to introduce different classes of missiles into service to create a multi-layered defense system.

In addition, the Air Force has AWACS and UAS capabilities and, based on an agreement between the US and Indian governments, is negotiating with representatives of the American company Raytheon on the purchase of two systems designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, detection and targeting (ISTAR) for a total cost of 350 million dollars. Analysts believe that Indian interest in such systems has increased since the end of the operation in Libya.

Once delivered to the Indian Air Force, ISTAR systems will be integrated with the already existing system Indian Air Command and Control developed by IACCS (India's Air Command and control system). It is based on a similar NATO standard system and allows you to control and coordinate the movement of aircraft, monitor the implementation of combat missions by aviation, and carry out reconnaissance activities. IACCS integrates AWACS and UU aircraft and radars for various purposes, which allows for the transfer of received data to the central command and control system.

According to representatives of the Indian Ministry of Defense, the main difference between the ISTAR and AWACS and U aircraft is that the first is designed to track ground targets and control troops on the battlefield, and the second is designed to target air targets and ensure air defense operations.

In terms of radar capabilities, the Air Force has the Rohinis radar, small balloon radars that are a smaller version of aviation systems AWACS and U do not help in detecting ground targets, medium-power radars, low-level light tactical radars, the AFNET (Air Force Network) data transmission network and the modernized MAFI (Modernization of Airport Infrastructure) airport infrastructure that is currently being formed.

Initially, the Bhatinda airfield (Rajasthan) will be equipped with the MAFI system. The first medium power radar in Naliya (Gujarat) became operational in 2013. In addition to these systems, the country's arsenal includes UAVs designed to perform reconnaissance missions, but their capabilities are limited.

Fleet modernization

The Air Force fleet improvement program involves 63 MiG-29, 52 Mirage-2000, 125 Jaguar fighters. Three of India's 69 MiG-29B/S fighters were modernized in Russia under a $964 million contract signed in 2009. Three more aircraft arrived in India at the end of 2013.

The remaining 63 MiG-29 fighters will undergo modernization at the HAL plant in Nasik and at the 11th Aircraft Repair Plant of the Indian Air Force in 2015-2016. These aircraft will be equipped with new RD-33MK engines from the Klimov company, a Zhuk-ME phased array radar from the Fazotron-NIIR corporation, and Vympel R-77 air-to-air missiles to engage air targets within beyond the line of sight range.

Upgrading the existing Mirage 2000 multi-role fighter jets to fifth-generation standard will cost 1.67 billion rupees ($30 million) per unit, which is more expensive than purchasing these aircraft. This was notified to Parliament by Defense Minister Arakaparambil Kurian Anthony in March 2013.

In 2000, India purchased 52 Mirage-2000 fighter jets from France at a price of 1.33 billion rupees (about $24 million) per unit. During the modernization, the fighters will receive new radars, avionics, on-board computers and targeting systems. Six aircraft are expected to be completed in France, and the rest in India at HAL.

Multirole fighter "Mirage-2000"

The contract to upgrade Jaguar aircraft to the Darin III configuration, worth 31.1 billion Indian rupees, was signed in 2009. Work at HAL Corporation enterprises is planned to be completed in 2017. The first updated aircraft successfully completed a test flight on November 28, 2012.

The aircraft is equipped with new avionics (avionics) and multi-mode radar. In the future, it will be remotorized, which will make the Jaguar all-weather, with high combat effectiveness, and will also significantly increase its service life.

To equip the fleet of modernized Jaguars, India has chosen advanced ASRAAM (Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile) medium-range missiles developed by the French company MBDA and intends to purchase 350-400 missiles of this type.

Recently, Honeywell submitted a bid to the Indian Ministry of Defense to supply 270 F125IN power units, developed by Sepecat and built at Indian HAL facilities, to upgrade the engines of 125 Jaguar fighter jets.

Training

An important aspect of the restructuring of the Indian Air Force is to increase the number of troops and train them to operate new equipment. The Air Force plans to increase its fighter squadron strength to 40-42 by the end of the 14th Five-Year Period (2022-2027) and possibly to 45 by the time the 15th Five-Year Period (2027-2032) is implemented. Currently, the Indian Air Force has 34 squadrons.

It is expected to achieve the highest combat readiness after the adoption of all planned for serial licensed production fighters - Su-30MKI, MMRCA, FGFA. Obviously, this will require an influx of a huge number of combat pilots, which is a very difficult problem.

Although the state of aircrew training has improved in recent years, the Indian Air Force is still far from achieving the desired standards. Various measures are being taken to address this problem, such as recruiting candidates and providing them with additional training before awarding rank to the Air Force. Much is being done to retain the ranks of its pilots, in particular, training facilities are constantly being improved.

Over the past three fiscal years, the Air Force has been allocated more funds for defense procurement than the other two branches of the Armed Forces. Apparently, this trend will continue over the next few years.

However, the IAF has managed to achieve and come across as a powerful force capable of protecting the sovereignty of Indian airspace. It seems that in the future the Indian Air Force has no other choice but to acquire promising technologies and equipment abroad. There is also the possibility of joint development and production, as well as offset programs that have been developing recently. This direction is the most appropriate from the point of view of obtaining the status of a domestic product for military equipment.

The service life of modern aircraft is usually about 30 years. It is then typically extended for another 10 to 15 years following mid-life upgrades. Thus, the new equipment acquired by the Air Force will remain in service until 2050–2060. But since the nature of warfare also changes over time, in addition to the acquisition modern weapons it requires a comprehensive re-evaluation of the likely operations plan that the Air Force will have to face and reform its weapons accordingly.

To do this, at the present stage, the Air Force must take into account the status of India's regional power and assess its possible role and responsibility in the new geopolitical and geostrategic environment.

The pride of the Indian defense industry

The total cost of purchasing the Tejas aircraft was approximately $1.4 billion. The LCA program is a great achievement of the Indian defense industry, its pride. This is the first all-Indian combat aircraft. And although some analysts point out that the engines, radars and other on-board systems of the Tejas are of foreign origin, the Indian defense industry is tasked with bringing the aircraft to a fully Indian production.

Indian Defense Minister Anthony announced on December 20, 2013 that the light fighter Tejas Mk.1 (Tejas Mark I) has reached initial operational readiness, that is, it is being handed over to Air Force pilots for final testing. According to him, the fighter will reach full operational readiness by the end of 2014, when it can be put into service.

Light fighter "Tejas"

“The Air Force will induct the first squadron of Tejas aircraft in 2015 and the second in 2017. Production of the aircraft will begin soon, Anthony said, adding that each squadron will be based at the Sulur airbase near Coimbatore in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and will consist of 20 fighters designed to replace the aging MiG-21. In total, the Air Force's needs for these aircraft are estimated at more than 200 units.

"Tejas", implemented under the LCA program, is one of the record holders in terms of design work carried out by HAL and DRDO. Work on the creation of this all-Indian fighter began in 1983, it made its first flight in January 2001, and broke the supersonic barrier in August 2003.

In parallel, development is underway of a new modification of the Tejas Mk.2 fighter (Tejas Mark II) with a more powerful and fuel-efficient engine manufactured by the American General Electric, improved radar and other systems. “Later, the Air Force will commission four squadrons of this modification of the fighter, and the Navy will induct 40 carrier-based Tejas fighters,” says Indian Defense Minister Antony.

India plans to completely replace MiG-21 fighters by 2018–2019, but the process may take until 2025.

Su-30MKI, Rafale, Globemaster-3

A contract worth $1.6 billion for the supply of technological kits for licensed assembly production of the Su-30MKI by HAL Corporation was signed during Vladimir Putin’s visit to India on December 24, 2012. After the implementation of this contract total Aircraft produced at HAL facilities will reach 222 units, and the total cost of 272 fighters of this type purchased from Russia is $12 billion.

To date, India has put into service more than 170 Su-30MKI fighters out of 272 ordered from Russia. By 2017, 14 squadrons of these aircraft will be based at Indian air bases.

To date, HAL is already producing Su-30MKI and Tejas combat aircraft. In the future, the company will also begin to produce the Rafale, which won the MMRCA tender, and the fifth-generation FGFA fighter, jointly developed by Russia and India.

Su-30MKI Indian Air Force

India and France have been unable to agree on the terms of delivery of the Rafale fighter jet, which won the MMRCA tender in January 2012, for a year now. In October 2013, Deputy Commander of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Sukumar, said that the corresponding agreement would be signed before the end of the current financial year, ending in March 2014.

According to the terms of the competition, the winner invests half of the amount paid for the aircraft into the production of fighter aircraft in India. About 110 Rafale aircraft are to be manufactured by HAL, while the first 18 are to be manufactured directly by the supplier company and delivered assembled to the customer. The transaction amount was initially estimated at $10 billion, but today, according to various sources, it may already exceed 20–30 billion. Initially, the Indian Air Force planned to put the first Rafale fighter into service in 2016, but now this date has been postponed to at least 2017.

In 2011, the Indian Ministry of Defense signed an LOA (Letter of Offer and Acceptance) agreement with the US government for 10 C-17 Globemaster III heavy strategic military transport aircraft worth five billion dollars. At the moment, the Air Force has received four C-17s: in June, July-August and October 2013. All aircraft will be delivered before 2015. Boeing promises to transfer the remaining military technical equipment to the customer in 2014, having completed the implementation of the contract. Similar to the C-130J tactical military transport aircraft, the Indian Air Force plans to increase the C-17 fleet by another 10 aircraft.

Educational and training equipment

Since August 2009, the Air Force has grounded its fleet of aging HPT-32 trainer aircraft. Subsequently, the Ministry of Defense announced a tender for the supply of Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) for the Indian Air Force, which was won by the Swiss company Pilatus.

In May 2012, the Security Committee of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Indian government approved the purchase of 75 PC-7 Mk.2 (PC-7 Mark II) aircraft for the country's air force in the amount of 35 billion Indian rupees (more than $620 million). From February to August 2013, the first three vehicles were transferred to the Indian Air Force. The Ministry of Defense is planning a new contract with Pilatus for the supply of 37 additional training devices.

Hawk training aircraft

For advanced flight training, the Air Force purchases AJT (Advanced Jet Trainers) Hawks. In March 2004, the Indian government signed a contract with BAE Systems and Turbomeca for the supply of 24 Hawks, as well as with HAL for the production under license of another 42 vehicles. The total value of the contracts is $1.1 billion.

All the first 24 aircraft were completely built at BAe facilities and delivered to the Indian Air Force, another 28 of the 42 aircraft produced by HAL from ready-made kits were handed over to the customer before July 2011.

In July 2010, the Ministry of Defense signed a contract worth $779 million to purchase 57 additional Hawk aircraft: 40 aircraft for the Air Force and 17 for the Indian Navy. HAL began production of them in 2013 and should complete them by 2016.

Strategic Airlift

One of the main tasks of the Indian Air Force in the future will be to carry out strategic air transport. But New Delhi's participation in international security requires the gradual development of the air force towards a rapid reaction force, while at home the creation of a regular security force is on the agenda.

Given India's recent status as a regional power, the country's growing role and responsibility in the new geopolitical and geostrategic environment, as well as the renewed partnership with the United States, New Delhi may be required to deploy large numbers of troops to any region. The Air Force's strategic airlift capabilities must be created practically from scratch, since the service life of the corresponding fleet is ending.

At the tactical level, the Air Force must be provided with a fleet of medium tactical military transport aircraft and helicopters capable of, together with special forces, rapid response at shorter ranges.

Clearly, India needs to expand its refueling fleet if it intends to have significant troop transport capabilities and influence in this segment.

The air force should also be increased combat capabilities some equipment already in service. At the strategic level, the Air Force must be able to provide probable nuclear deterrence Pakistan and China. They also need to be able to maintain a military presence in regions of clear national security interest and on allied territory with combat aircraft, tankers and strategic transport. To carry out strategic strikes on enemy territory, the Air Force must be armed with aircraft missiles placed on platforms with powerful electronic warfare equipment. In this case, tactical roles can be transferred to UAVs and helicopters.

These forces must have the ability to provide a rapid response in a crisis situation and have the logistical support to carry out missions over an extended period of time.

To effectively ensure national security, the Air Force should acquire an additional fleet of AWACS aircraft to enhance low-altitude surveillance capabilities. The air defense systems currently in service in the country need to be replaced by air defense systems with zone and site-based air defense systems of a new generation.

The Air Force should stock its own satellite systems and a fleet of UAVs with a wide range of sensors to provide 24/7, all-weather strategic and tactical reconnaissance. UAVs must be provided with appropriate ground infrastructure for automated and rapid processing of intelligence information, as well as a fleet of tactical transport aircraft, helicopters and special forces for rapid response to possible threats.

The Indian Air Force was created on October 8, 1932, when the first batch of Indian pilots were sent to Great Britain for training. The first squadron of the Indian Air Force, formed on April 1, 1933 in Karachi, became part of the British Air Force. The collapse of the British colony into two states (India and Pakistan) in 1947 led to the division of its air force. The Indian Air Force consists of only 6.5 squadrons. Currently, the Indian Air Force is the fourth largest after the United States, China and Russia.

Organization, strength, combat strength and weapons. The general management of the air force is carried out by a headquarters headed by a chief (also known as the commander-in-chief of the air force) with the rank of air chief marshal. He is responsible to the government of the country for the state of the Air Force, the solution of the tasks assigned to them and their further development.

The headquarters manages the development of national plans for operational and mobilization deployment, plans and controls combat and operational training, ensures the participation of the Air Force in national exercises, organizes interaction with the headquarters of the ground forces and naval forces. Being supreme body operational control of the air force, it is divided into operational and general parts.

Organizationally, the Indian Air Force consists of five air commands - Western (headquarters in Delhi), South-Western (Jodhpur), Central (Allahabad), Eastern (Shillong) and Southern (Trivandrum), as well as training.

Air Command is the highest operational force, headed by a commander with the rank of air marshal. It is designed to conduct air operations on one or two operational directions. The commander is responsible for the combat readiness of units and subunits, plans and conducts operational and combat training, exercises and training on the scale of the command entrusted to him. In wartime, he interacts with the commands of the ground forces and naval forces conducting combat operations in his area of ​​​​responsibility. The Air Command has air wings, anti-aircraft guided missile wings, as well as individual units and subunits. The combat composition of this command is not constant: it depends on the operational situation in the area of ​​​​responsibility and the assigned tasks.

Air wing is a tactical unit of the national air force. It consists of a headquarters, one to four aviation squadrons, as well as combat and logistics support. As a rule, air wings are not of the same type in composition, and they may include squadrons of various types of aviation.

Aviation squadron is the main tactical unit of the national air force, capable of operating independently or as part of an air wing. It usually includes three detachments, two of which are flying (combat), and the third is technical. The squadron is armed with aircraft of the same type, the number of which (from 16 to 20) depends on the mission of the squadron. An air squadron is usually based at one airfield.

The air force numbers 140 thousand people. There are a total of 772 combat aircraft in service (as of September 1, 2000).

Combat aviation includes fighter-bomber, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft.

Fighter-bomber aviation has 17 squadrons, which are armed with MiG-21, MiG-23 (Fig. 1), MiG-27 (279 units) and Jaguar (88) aircraft.

Fighter aviation is the backbone of the nation's air force. It consists of 20 squadrons, which are armed with Su-30 (Fig. 2), MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 (Fig. 3) aircraft of various modifications (325 units) and Mi-Rage-2000 ( 35 units, Fig. 4).

Reconnaissance aircraft include two squadrons (16 aircraft), equipped with MiG-25 reconnaissance aircraft (eight), as well as legacy Canberra aircraft (eight).

The air defense fighter aviation is represented by one aviation squadron of MiG-29 aircraft (21 units).

The auxiliary aviation includes transport aviation units, communications aircraft, a government squadron, as well as combat training and training squadrons. They are armed with: 25 Il-76,105 An-32 aircraft (Fig. 5), 40 Do-228 (Fig. 6), two Boeing 707, four Boeing 737,120 NJT-16 “Kiran-1”, 50 HJT “Kiran-1” 2" (see color insert), 38 "Hunter", as well as 80 Mi-8 helicopters (Fig. 7), 35 Mi-17, ten Mi-26, 20 "Chitak". In addition, the Air Force has three squadrons of Mi-25 combat helicopters (32 units).

Aerodrome network. According to foreign press data, there are 340 airfields in the country (of which 143 are with artificial turf: 11 have runways over 3,000 m long, 50 - from 2,500 to 3,000 m, 82 - from 1,500 to 2,500 m ). In peacetime, about 60 airfields of various classes are allocated for the basing of combat and auxiliary aviation, the main of which are the following: Delhi, Srinagar, Pathan Kot, Ambala, Jodhpur, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Pune, Tambaram, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Agra, Allahabad, Gwalior, Nagpur, Kalaikunda, Bagdogra, Gauhati, Shillong (Fig. 8).

Training and retraining of Air Force personnel are carried out in educational institutions that are part of the Air Force Training Command, which trains specialists for all branches of aviation, headquarters, agencies and services of the Air Force. Pilots, navigators and radio operators are trained at the Air Force Flight College (Jodhpur). This educational institution accepts graduates of the aviation department of the National Defense Academy and the national cadet corps. Upon completion, the course of study continues in one of the training wings of the Air Training Command, after which graduates are awarded the rank of officer.

Air defense India is mainly of an object nature. Its main efforts are concentrated on protecting the most important military installations, military-industrial and administrative centers from air attack. Air defense forces and means include air defense fighter aviation units, anti-aircraft guided missile systems, command posts and centers, as well as detection, processing and data transmission facilities that provide all components of the air defense system with the necessary information.

Currently, the entire territory of India is divided into five air defense regions (Western, Southwestern, Central, Eastern and Southern), the boundaries of which coincide with the areas of responsibility of the corresponding air commands. Air defense areas are divided into sectors. The sector is the lowest territorial air defense unit, within which planning of combat operations is carried out, as well as the management of air defense forces and means.

Rice. 7. Group of Mi-8 transport and landing helicopters

The main organizational unit of air defense is the missile defense wing. As a rule, it consists of a headquarters, two to five missile defense squadrons and a technical squadron.

Operational control of air defense forces and means is carried out at three levels: the operational center of Indian air defense, operational centers of air defense areas, control and warning centers of air defense sectors.

Air Defense Operations Center is the country's highest air defense management body, which collects and processes data on the air situation and assesses it. During combat operations, he issues target designations to air defense areas and manages the distribution of forces and assets of the areas in order to repel an air attack in the most dangerous directions.

Air defense district operational centers solve the following tasks: assess the air situation, manage air defense forces and means, organize the interception of air targets in their area of ​​responsibility.

Control and warning centers for air defense sectors are the main control bodies in the air defense system. Their functions include: monitoring the airspace, detecting, identifying and tracking air targets, transmitting warning signals, announcing alarms, transmitting commands to lift fighters into the air and point them at the target, as well as transmitting target designations and commands to open fire with anti-aircraft missile systems .

To monitor the air situation in India, a network of stationary and mobile radar posts has been deployed. Data exchange between them and air defense centers is carried out using cable lines, tropospheric and radio relay communication systems, as well as the automated control system of the Indian Air Force.

The SAM squadrons are armed with 280 launchers of the S-75 “Dvina” and S-125 “Pechora” air defense systems.

Rice. 8. Location of the main air bases of the Indian Air Force

Operational and combat training of the Indian Air Force is aimed at increasing the level of training of command and control bodies at all levels, the combat and mobilization readiness of aviation formations, formations and units, maintaining them at a high degree of combat readiness, as well as improving the forms and methods of using aviation, air defense forces and means in modern warfare . At the same time, in the context of government restrictions on the financial needs of the armed forces, the Air Force command as a whole ensures the implementation of the main planned combat training activities mainly through an integrated approach to organizing their implementation and optimizing the composition of the forces and assets involved. Considering that the Indian leadership considers Pakistan as the main potential enemy, most of the combat training activities of the Western, Southwestern and Central Aviation Commands of the Indian Air Force are carried out against the backdrop of an aggravation of the situation on the Indian-Pakistani border with the subsequent escalation of the border conflict into full-scale hostilities.

Development of the air force. The military-political leadership of India pays constant attention to the development of the Air Force and increasing its combat capabilities. In particular, further improvement of the forces is envisaged organizational structure and increasing combat capabilities, qualitative improvement of the aircraft fleet and development of the airfield network, widespread use of electronic warfare equipment, as well as the introduction of automated control systems. The Air Force command considers it necessary to continue the adoption of the Su-30I multirole fighters, to intensify the implementation of the program for modernizing obsolete fighters of the MiG-21 and MiG-23 types, to decide on the supply of 10 Mirage-2000 aircraft from France, and also to begin with the assistance of British specialists to the production of modernized Jaguar tactical fighters at Indian aviation enterprises. Priority national programs currently being implemented include the development of prototypes of light combat aircraft, light combat helicopter, short-range air defense system "Trishul" and medium-range "Akash".

In general, according to the Indian command, the implementation of the Air Force modernization plan will significantly increase the combat capabilities of this type of armed forces and bring it into line with the requirements of the national military doctrine.

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About the state of the Indian Air Force

Events last days drew attention to the state of the Indian Air Force. The domestic public is somewhat surprised by the progress of yet another escalation of the protracted conflict between India and Pakistan. It would seem that the Indian Air Force, equipped with hundreds of modern aircraft, objectively lost the first round of confrontation with the long-term enemy. Moreover, instead of using modern combat vehicles, such as the Su-30 supplied from Russia, in the first days of the escalation, outdated MiG-21 and Mirage-2000 went into battle. On February 27, in the state of Kashmir bordering Pakistan, a Mi-17 helicopter was lost, possibly falling for reasons unrelated to enemy actions; in addition, a MiG-21-90 fighter was shot down by Pakistani F-16s. This result looks somewhat strange against the background technical superiority India over its neighbor's aircraft. However, it is worth understanding the state of the country's air force in more detail.

Indeed, India's aircraft fleet is perhaps the most modern in the region. The local air force is armed with at least 220 Su-30MKI fighters, produced under license in the country. Another 50 aircraft of this type were delivered from Russia in assembled form.

Indian Air Force Su-30MKI

In addition, Indian aviation is armed with over 60 MiG-29 fighters, supplied from the USSR. At the beginning of 2019, it became known that the Indian leadership was negotiating with the Russian Federation on the supply of an additional batch of MiG-29 fighters.

Along with Russian aviation equipment, India is trying to purchase modern aircraft from Western countries. In particular, a batch of 36 Rafale fighters was to be purchased from France. However, to this day, aircraft of this type have not entered service with the Indian Air Force due to numerous scandals related to corruption schemes.

In addition to purchasing aircraft equipment abroad, India is trying to start producing its own aircraft. In particular, it is planned to introduce fighters into service with the local air force. Tejas, which in the future should replace the outdated MiG-21. The length of the Tejas fighter is 13.2 m, the wingspan is 8.2 m, the height is 4.4 m. The empty aircraft weighs 5.5 tons, its maximum take-off weight is 15.5 tons. The aircraft is armed with a 23-mm double-barreled main gun. -23 and has 8 hardpoints for bombs, missiles and auxiliary equipment. However, so far the production of aircraft of this type is proceeding at a rather slow pace.

Tejas fighter

The strike component of the Indian Air Force is represented by aviation equipment of the 70s-80s. In particular, there are over 200 MiG-21 fighters; in addition, the Indian Air Force has over 60 MiG-27 fighter-bombers. French aircraft have become widespread in the country. Thus, the Air Force includes over 100 French Jaguar fighter-bombers, some of which were produced in India under license, as well as about 50 Mirage-2000 multirole fighters. It was the Mirages that struck terrorist camps in Kashmir on February 26 of this year. The presence of a huge fleet of obsolete fighter-bombers leads to a high accident rate in the Indian Air Force, but this will be discussed separately.

India has AWACS and electronic reconnaissance aircraft. This significantly increases the potential of the country's air force. In particular, the Indian army is armed with 3 Russian A-50 aircraft, which were involved in the operation against militants in Kashmir on February 26, as well as 5 Brazilian-made DRDO AEW&CS vehicles and 3 Gulfstream electronic reconnaissance vehicles and 3 Bombardier 5000 received from Israel.

The Indian military transport aviation fleet looks quite powerful. India has 6 Il-78 refueling aircraft, which were used to refuel Mirage 2000s during the strikes in Kashmir, 27 Il-76 aircraft, approximately 100 modernized An-32 transport aircraft, as well as 10 US C-32 transport aircraft. 17 and 5 S-130 Hercules vehicles. In mountainous terrain, the country's military transport aviation is capable of quickly transporting reinforcements to the conflict area by air.

The Indian Air Force has a significant number of training aircraft. In particular, Indian aviation includes over 80 BAE Hawk Mk.132, 75 Pilatus PC-7, over 150 HAL Kiran, and 80 HAL HPT-32 Deepak. It is noteworthy that the last two types of machines are locally developed. In the event of the outbreak of a large-scale war, these aircraft can be used as light attack aircraft.

BAE Hawk Mk.132 on parade

India does not have many attack helicopters. Thus, there are about 20 Mi-35 helicopters, which are fully suitable for combat operations in mountainous areas. However, the Indian army includes over 220 Mi-17 helicopters, which can easily carry unguided weapons. In particular, during the hostilities against Pakistan in 1999, vehicles of this type were used in Kashmir as attack vehicles. The Mi-17 performed well in high altitude conditions. By the way, on February 27, for unknown reasons, a helicopter of this type was lost in Kashmir, most likely used to supply the border group. In addition, the Indian Army is armed with 40 Aérospatiale SA 316B (HAL SA316B) light helicopters, the production license for which was purchased from France, and about 120 Indian-developed HAL SA315B and HAL Dhruv light vehicles. However, the use of light multi-purpose helicopters in high altitude conditions seems doubtful. Along with the machines in service, India entered into an agreement to supply over 20 AN-64 Apache helicopters from the United States.

Along with the Indian Air Force, it also has combat aviation Navy. Thus, a total of 45 MiG-29K fighters were ordered in Russia, capable of solving combat missions of various profiles.

It would seem that the potential of the Indian Air Force, which has hundreds of modern combat aircraft, as well as the ability to both assemble aircraft under license and produce its own combat aircraft, leaves Pakistan no chance of success. However, along with modern aviation technology, the local air force has hundreds of aircraft that were obsolete in the 80s. Ironically, it was these very vehicles that are stationed in Kashmir that collided with Pakistani F-16 fighter jets on February 27. The MiG-21 was an advanced aircraft of its time, and even now it is capable of striking ground targets, but in confrontation with fighters of the next generations it has virtually no chance of success.

In addition to the presence of outdated equipment, Indian aviation has serious human factor problems. Thus, the high accident rate has become a real scourge of the local air force. During 2018, at least 13 aircraft were lost in accidents. Another 5 planes have crashed since the beginning of the new year, 2019. And the leadership of the country's air force itself took the potential of the Pakistani air force rather lightly. The deployment of obsolete MiG-21s in the conflict zone and sending them into battle against Pakistani F-16 fighters is obviously caused by a banal underestimation of the enemy, which led to the loss of aircraft.

Dmitry Valyuzhenich for ANNA-News