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Indian Air Force. Technical condition and incidents. Indian Air Force About the State of the Indian Air Force

About the state of the Indian Air Force

Events in recent days have focused attention on 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instead of using modern combat vehicles, such as the Su-30 supplied from Russia, in the first days of the escalation, outdated MiG-21 and Mirage-2000 went into battle.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 backdrop of India’s technical superiority over its neighbor’s aviation. 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 Tejas, which in the future should replace the outdated MiG-21.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 support 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 from 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. Have become widespread in the country french planes. 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 high percentage 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 American S-32 transport aircraft. 17 and 5 S-130 Hercules vehicles. In mountainous terrain, the country's military transport aviation is capable of short terms ensure the transfer of 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 cases of onset 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 were lost in accidents. aircraft. 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

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Air Force India(Hindi भारतीय वायु सेना ; Bhartiya Vāyu Senā) - one of the branches of the Indian Armed Forces. By the number of aircraft they are in fourth place among the largest military air force world (after the USA, Russia and China).

The Indian Air Force was created on October 8, 1932, and the first squadron appeared in its composition on April 1, 1933. They played an important role in the fighting on the Burma front during World War II. In 1945-1950, the Indian Air Force used the prefix “royal”. Indian aviation has taken an active part in the wars with Pakistan, as well as in a number of smaller operations and conflicts.

As of 2007, the Indian Air Force had more than 1,130 combat and 1,700 auxiliary aircraft and helicopters. A serious problem is the high accident rate. From the early 1970s to the early 2000s, the Indian Air Force lost an average of 23 aircraft and helicopters annually. Largest number The majority of flight accidents are attributed to Indian-made Soviet MiG-21 fighters, which form the backbone of the Indian Air Force fleet and have earned themselves a reputation as “flying coffins” and “widowmakers.” From 1971 to April 2012, 482 MiGs crashed (more than half of the 872 received).

The Indian Air Force is the fourth largest in the world after the United States, Russia and China. The date of creation of the Indian Air Force is considered to be October 8, 1932, when in Rusalpur, which is now located in Pakistan, the British colonial administration began to form the first “national” RAF aviation squadron from among local pilots. The squadron was organized only six months later - on April 1, 1933.

The Air Force of the Republic of India, which gained independence in 1947, was formed immediately after gaining sovereignty. From the first days, the Indian Air Force had to defend the interests of the country in bloody battles with Pakistan and China. From 1947 to 1971, three Indo-Pakistani wars took place, in which the aviation of the two newly created states was a direct participant.

The Indian Air Force is organizationally an integral part of the combined branch of the armed forces - the Air Force and Air Defense (Air Defense). The leadership of the Air Force is carried out by the Chief of Staff. The Air Force headquarters consists of departments: operations, planning, combat training, reconnaissance, electronic warfare (EW), meteorological, financial and communications.

There are five air commands subordinate to the headquarters, which manage local units:

The Air Force has 38 air wing headquarters and 47 combat aviation squadrons.

India has a developed airfield network. The main military airfields are located near the cities of: Udhampur, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, Ambala, Adampur, Halwara, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Sirsa, Malout, Delhi, Pune, Bhuj, Jodhpur, Baroda, Sulur, Tambaram, Jorhat, Tezpur, Hashimara, Bagdogra , Barrkpur, Agra, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Gwalior and Kalaikunda.

Data on Indian Air Force equipment and weapons is taken from the page of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine.

India maintains 40+ operational Earth imaging satellites in polar orbits.

English is the official language of the Indian Armed Forces. All military ranks exist only in English and are never translated into any Indian language. British system military ranks used in Armed Forces India is virtually unchanged.

In terms of the number of aircraft, they are in fourth place among the largest air forces in the world (after the USA, Russia and China).
The British Indian Armed Forces were created on October 8, 1932. During World War II they took part in battles with the Japanese on the Burma front. In 1947, India gained independence from Great Britain. Due to the unfair drawing of borders, clashes immediately began between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, which led to the death of more than half a million people. In 1947-1949, 1965, 1971, 1984 and 1999, India fought with Pakistan, in 1962 - with China People's Republic. Unsettled borders force the state on the Hindustan Peninsula with a population of 1.22 billion people to spend huge amounts of money on maintaining the armed forces. In 2014, about 40 billion US dollars were allocated for these purposes.
Indian Air Force structure

Aerobatic team of the Indian Air Force SURYA KIRAN Surya Kiran, which translated into our sun rays

The Indian Air Force (numbering over 150 thousand people) is organizationally an integral part of the combined branch of the armed forces - the Air Force and Air Defense (Air Defense). The leadership of the Air Force is carried out by the Chief of Staff. The Air Force headquarters consists of departments: operations, planning, combat training, reconnaissance, electronic warfare (EW), meteorological, financial and communications.
There are five air commands subordinate to the headquarters, which manage local units:

  1. Central (Allahabad),
  2. Western (Delhi),
  3. Eastern (Shillong),
  4. South (Trivandrum),
  5. Southwestern (Gandhinagar), as well as educational (Bangalore).

The Air Force has 38 air wing headquarters and 47 combat aviation squadrons. India has a developed airfield network. The main military airfields are located near the cities of: Udhampur, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, Ambala, Adampur, Halwara, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Sirsa, Malout, Delhi, Pune, Bhuj, Jodhpur, Baroda, Sulur, Tambaram, Jorhat, Tezpur, Hashimara, Bagdogra , Barrkpur, Agra, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Gwalior and Kalaikunda.

Military transport multi-purpose aircraft An-32 Indian Air Force

Currently, the republic's Air Force is in the process of reorganization: the number of aircraft is being reduced, old planes and helicopters are gradually being replaced by new or modernized models, flight training of pilots is improving, piston training aircraft are being replaced by new jets.

Training equipment “Kiran” of the Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force operates 774 combat and 295 auxiliary aircraft. Fighter-bomber aviation includes 367 aircraft, organized into 18 squadrons:

  • one -
  • three - MiG-23
  • four - "Jaguar"
  • six - MiG-27 (the Indians plan to write off most MiG-27s by 2015)
  • four - MiG-21.

The fighter aviation consists of 368 aircraft in 20 squadrons:

  • 14 MiG-21 squadrons (120 MiG-21s intend to operate until 2019)
  • one - MiG-23MF and UM
  • three - MiG-29
  • two - " "
  • eight squadrons of Su-30MK aircraft.

Reconnaissance aviation has one squadron of Canberra aircraft (eight aircraft) and one MiG-25R (six aircraft), as well as two MiG-25U, a Boeing 707 and a Boeing 737.

The electronic warfare aviation includes: three American Gulfstream III, four Canberra aircraft, four HS-748 helicopters, three Russian-made AWACS A-50EI aircraft.

Il-38SD-ATES of Indian Air Force and Navy

Transport aviation is armed with 212 aircraft, grouped into 13 squadrons: six squadrons of Ukrainian An-32 (105 aircraft), two each of Do 228, BAe 748 and Il-76 (17 aircraft), as well as two Boeing 737-200 aircraft , seven BAe-748 and five American C-130J Super Hercules.
In addition, the aviation units are armed with 28 BAe-748, 120 Kiran-1, 56 Kiran-2, 38 Hunter (20 P-56, 18 T-66), 14 Jaguar, nine MiG-29UB, 44 Polish TS-11 Iskra, 88 NRT-32 trainers and a heavy-duty administrative Boeing 737-700 BBJ.

Helicopter aviation includes 36 attack helicopters, organized into three squadrons Mi-25 (export version of Mi-24) and Mi-35, as well as 159 transport and transport-combat helicopters Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-26 and Chitak. (Indian licensed version of the French Alouette III), organized into eleven squadrons.

Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force. 2010

The main problem of the Indian Air Force is the extremely high accident rate caused by worn-out equipment, high intensity flights and insufficient qualifications of new pilots. Most of the flight accidents occur on old Soviet MiG-21 fighters made in India. Thus, from 1971 to 2012, 382 MiGs of this series crashed. But Western-made planes also crash in India.
Indian Air Force reorganization program


The Indian Air Force plans to introduce 460 newly built combat aircraft over the next 10 years, including:

  • own production of light fighters LCA (light combat airctaft) "Tejas" (148 units) to replace the old MiG-21,
  • French Rafales (126 units),
  • 144 5th generation FGFA fighters (created within the framework of an intergovernmental agreement between Russia and India)
  • and additional 42 Russian Su-ZOMKI (after the implementation of this program total quantity Su-ZOMKI will reach 272 units).
  • In addition, the Air Force purchased six Airbus A300 MRTT tanker aircraft assembled in Europe (in addition to the six already existing Russian Il-78 MKI), ten American Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft and other models of various aircraft and helicopters of different countries of the world.

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 - visited Soviet space spaceship"Soyuz" 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, the Indian Air Force is the most numerous and combat-ready among all the states of South Asia and is 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 trainers. In addition, the training command also has special training centers such as the 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 aircraft and helicopters of combat and 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"


The special forces of the Indian Air Force, whose units are called Garud, are also in a special position. 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 difficult to accurately indicate the quantitative composition of its aircraft fleet at the moment not possible. 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 - mostly 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 fleet of aircraft and helicopters, the Indian Air Force is currently experiencing quite serious difficulties in maintaining all aircraft in normal 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. Recently, 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 radar “Spear” (JSC “Corporation “Phazotron-NIIR”), 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 dollars on the issue overhaul six MiG-23UB combat training 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. The 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 in 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 reserves, natural gas etc., 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 command of the Air Force 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, in their words, “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 command created on January 4, 2003 nuclear forces, which was headed by former fighter pilot and now Air Marshal T. Asthana (former commander of the Southern Air 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 also used aerial bombs with a yield of 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 a training aircraft by the Indian aerospace industry is also progressing successfully. intermediate training HJT-36 (Indian sources use the name Intermediate Jet Trainer, or IJT), intended to replace the outdated HJT-16 Kiran aircraft. 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 designed on our own the Dhruv helicopter, 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 Russian plane AWACS A-50, also developed on the basis of the Il-76 transport aircraft (as for Indian specialists, they can make similar 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 they specifically took participation of two A-50s. (Ranjit V. 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). ,1 billion dollars, of which India pledged to pay $350 million in advance payment within 45 days from the date of signing 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.

Indian company HAL continues its national lung development program 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 carried out the design of the aircraft, and in 1991 it began construction of an experimental LCA. 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 lack of 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 the visit to Delhi on February 5-8, 2002 of the 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 command of the Indian Air Force preliminary approved a work plan of action, which provides for a wider use of budget funds allocated to this type of armed forces for the purchase of aircraft 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 effective use them 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 of the agreement, an intergovernmental advisory group was created.

This was followed by Israel, with which India has established fairly strong relations in various areas, and the most “fresh” partner was the United States. Latest in September 2002 in the new Strategy national security For the first time, India was given 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. The procedure for licensing export activities was also simplified American companies in the field of commercial space programs, and the Indian Space Research Organization (fSRO) disappeared from the “blacklist” of the US Department of Commerce.

These activities are carried out as part 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 weapons non-proliferation policy 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 emphasis 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.


The Indian Air Force was created on October 8, 1932, when the first group 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. Breakup in 1947 british colony into two states (India and Pakistan) 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, and organizes interaction with the headquarters of the ground forces and naval forces. Being supreme body operational management 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 aviation command has aviation wings, anti-aircraft wings guided missiles, as well as individual units and divisions. 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 units. 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). Graduates of the aviation department of the academy are admitted to this educational institution national defense 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, control 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 transport and landing helicopters Mi-8

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 airspace, detection, identification and tracking of air targets, transmission of warning signals, announcement of alarms, transmission of commands to lift fighters into the air and point them at the target, as well as transmission of 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 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 integrated approach to organizing their implementation and optimizing the composition of the forces and means 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 subsequent escalation 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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