Did not want to open a new thread so will post it here , we are talkign about IAF .
These are difficult and uncomfortable times for the Indian Air Force. On January 16, 2006, the IAF chief had asked the media to stop calling MiG-21 a ââ¬Åflying coffinââ¬Â. And yet, on January 17, a MiG 21 crashed after facing an engine surge during a training sortie over the Jamnagar air base. That the position continues to be grim could be seen from the following figures (the numbers denote the original total, current total and year of first delivery respectively):
Among the multirole fighters,
Sukhoi Su-30 PU ââ¬â 8, 8, 1997
Sukhoi Su-30K ââ¬â 10, 10, 1999
Sukhoi Su-30 MKI ââ¬â 162, 35, 2002
Among air defence aircraft,
Dassault Mirage 2000 H ââ¬â 46, 37, 1985
MiG-29 ââ¬ËFulcrum-Aââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 90, 65, 1986
MiG-23MF ââ¬ËFlogger-Bââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 36, 25, 1982
Among air defence/attack aircraft,
MiG-21 (MiG-21Bis-UPG) ââ¬â 125, 120, 1999
MiG-21Bis ââ¬ËFishbed-Lââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 300, 50, 1977
MiG-21FL ââ¬ËFishbed-Dââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 240, 70, 1966
MiG-21M/MF ââ¬ËFishbed-Jââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 180, 40-50, 1973
Among attack aircraft,
HAL LCA (Tejas) ââ¬â 28, 2008
MiG-23BN ââ¬ËFlogger-Hââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 95, 65, 1980
MiG-27M ââ¬ËFlogger-Jââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 165, 130, 1985
SEPECAT Jaguar IS ââ¬â 104, 70, 1979
Among maritime attack aircraft,
SEPECAT Jaguar IM ââ¬â 12, 10, 1979
Among combat helicopters,
Mil Mi-25 ââ¬ËHind-Dââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 12, 8, 1984
Mil Mi-35 ââ¬ËHind-Eââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 20, 15, 1990
HAL ALH Dhruv ââ¬â 150, 8, 2001
Among assault helicopters,
Mil Mi-8 ââ¬ËHipââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 150, 64, 1971
Mil Mi-17 ââ¬ËHip-Hââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 100, 56, 1984
Mil Mi-17M ââ¬ËHip-Hââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 40, 40, 2001
Among reconnaissance aircraft, the MiG-25R ââ¬ËFoxbat-Bââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 3 (decommissioned with effect from May 2006), 1981;
BAC EAI Canberra PR. Mk 57 ââ¬â 12, 3, 1957
Among observation helicopters,
HAL HSA 316B Chetak ââ¬â 25, 25, 1965
Among the aircraft used for transport,
HAL/Avro 748/748M ââ¬â 67, 43, 1964
Antonov An-32 ââ¬ËClineââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 118, 105, 1984
llyushin ll-76MD ââ¬ËCandidââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 17, 16 1985
HAL/Dornier 228 ââ¬â 24, 20, 1987
Mil Mi-26 ââ¬ËHaloââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 10, 8, 1986
Among tanker-transport aircraft,
Ilyushin ll-78 MK ââ¬ËMidasââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 6, 6, 2003
Among communication aircraft,
Boeing 737-2A8 ââ¬â 6, 4, 1984
Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy ââ¬â 4, 2, 2005
Among combat support aircraft,
BAC EAI Canberra B(TT). ââ¬â 5, 1957
Mk 2/B(I)TT.Mk 58
Among trainers,
HAL HJT-36 Sitara ââ¬â 16, 16, 2007
BAE Sytems Hawk Mk ââ¬â 132, 66
HAL HPT-32 Deepak ââ¬â 142, 115, 1985
HAL HJT-16 Kiran l/lA/ll ââ¬â 118/72/60, 130, 1968
WSK-Mielec TS-11 lskra ââ¬â 71, 50, 1975
HAL HSA 316B Chetak ââ¬â 10, 10, 1965
HAL HSA 315B Cheetah ââ¬â 10, 10, 1973
MiG-21U/US/UM ââ¬ËMongol-A/Bââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 100-plus, 60, 1966
MiG-23UB ââ¬ËFlogger-Cââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 35, 18, 1980
MiG-25 RU ââ¬ËFoxbat-Cââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 2 (decommissioned, May 2006), 1981
MiG-29UB ââ¬ËFulcrum-Bââ¬â¢ ââ¬â 8-plus, 6, 1986
SEPECAT Jaguar lB ââ¬â 32, 26, 1979
Dassault Mirage 2000TH ââ¬â 13, 11, 1985
Three llyushin ll-76 ââ¬ËPhalconââ¬â¢ will be effective from 2007 for airborne early warning.
Is this a revelation? No. This is no military secret. It has been reported by ââ¬ËJaneââ¬â¢s World Air Forcesââ¬â¢ and the analysis requires (virtually) no expertise, the data being clear and clean even to a lay man.
Of the 16 types of aircraft and rotorcraft with the IAF, the combat support and reconnaissance Canberra inducted in 1957 still flies (and crashes, as one did in January 2006 near Agra). One marvels at the magical performance of the IAF men to keep the 8 Canberras airworthy even after 49 years.
Janeââ¬â¢s revelation of the IAF inventory shows that the transport aircraft, Avro 748, also flies after 42 years, along with HAL-made Chetak 316B helicopter (41 years), and the air defence and attacking MiG 21 FL (40 years). Sadly, however, age appears to have taken a toll on the numbers of aircraft. Incredible also is the saga of the ex-USSR-made assault helicopter Mil-8, whose number has come down from 150 to 64 in 35 years.
This is not all. Virtually every other combat flying machine of the IAF has completed more than 20 years service life. Even the MiG-27 M Flogger J attack aircraft and the llyushin 76 MD Candid transport aircraft are 21 years vintage. The only exception to this list of old wine IAF inventory, mercifully, is the fleet of Sukhoi-30, first inducted into the 24th squadron at Pune in 1997.
The question may be legitimately asked: has the ââ¬Åmajor block obsolescenceââ¬Â hit the IAF inventory? If yes, then what is the remedy? How does one resolve this problem? If the answer is no, then what is the reality? Are the aircraft of other major air forces older than Indiaââ¬â¢s?
A cursory glance through the Chinese air force inventory would reveal that its fleet obsolescence is less pronounced than the IAFââ¬â¢s. The Chinese bombers may be 38/39 years old, but their interception and attack-type aircraft are brand new. However, the average age of Chinese combat aircraft varies between 40 to 46 years. And they are due for replacement.
Closer to New Delhi, the Pakistani air force too is beset with the modernization/obsolescence dilemma. The age of its multirole F-16 fighters is 23 years, and the original total of 40 aircraft has dwindled to 32. The age of its ââ¬Åattackââ¬Â fleet, Fantan and Mirage-5, too varies between 23 to 33 years. The only exception, however, is the Chinese-built air defence aircraft, with age varying between 4 and 18 years.
It would, however, not be wise to compare the IAF with the Pakistani and Chinese ones because the security environment of New Delhi vis-ÃÂ -vis her neighbours is far more complicated than that of Beijing and Islamabad. Seen thus, the recurring crashes of the old fleet make the need for modernization all the more urgent.
One may find innumerable faults with the IAF system, but should one continue to criticize and whip further the men who are already demoralized, watching their aircraft turn into ââ¬Åflying coffinsââ¬Â? The IAF does seem to be burdened with the age of its fighting birds. And the only way to come out of the morass appears to be the induction of new fleet. Whether one chooses French Mirage-2000 or Rafale; US F-16 or F-18; Swedish JAS-39 Viggen, Russian MiG-29/35 or Eurofighter matters little; but what does matter to the sagging morale of the brave IAF men is quick action. Today, every Indian is concerned. The young pilots and their old machines may not gel one fine morning. What happens then? Should one then blame the men who wanted to fly? Or the machines which could not fly?