Indian airforce: Difficulties may increase for the Indian Air Force in the coming times. In the next 10 years, his strength may remain equal to the Pakistani Air Force. The Indian Air Force is currently retiring its old fighter jets, but the purchase of new aircraft is stuck in the files. This is facing difficulties in maintaining operational capacity.
The current situation is that if all the projects fixed for the Air Force are completed on time, then by 2035 its strength will be equal to the Pakistani Air Force. But if there is a delay, as it has been often in India, then the strength of the Indian Air Force can be less than the Pakistani Air Force.
Surprising revelations in the report
A recent report by India Today feared that by 2035, the number of fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force may decrease drastically. According to estimates, the number of fighter aircraft near the Indian Air Force may remain equal to Pakistan Airforce.
According to government data, the Air Force should have at least 42 squadrons for the security of the country but currently India has only 32 squadrons. If new procurement and development plans are not completed on time, by 2035 this number will be reduced to only 25-27 squadrons. In such a situation, the situation can be very worrying.
Can fighter aircraft be reduced?
A recent report by India Today gives a serious warning based on the current and future defense purchase. According to the report, by the year 2035, only 25 fighter squadron will survive with the Indian Air Force. During this period, major fighter aircrafts like Jaguar, MiG-29 and Mirage-20,000 present in the service will retire, which can lead to a huge shortage of aircraft. In such a situation, the number of squadron with the Indian Air Force may be equal to the Pakistan Air Force, which currently has 25 squadrons. This situation can be challenging for India.
Increased concern due to lack of fighter aircraft
The Indian Air Force is currently operating about 31 squadrons, which is much lower than 42. In the current situation, India is slowly removing the MiG-21 aircraft from its fleet because these fighter jets are now very old and are constantly falling victim to accidents. The country has lost many of its brave pilots in MiG-21 accidents.
From the early 1970s to the early 1990s, fighter aircraft like Jaguar, MiG-29 and Mirage-200 were included in the Indian Air Force, but now they have also completed their age and they need to retire soon. According to the report of India Today, the retiring of about six Jaguar, three MiG-29 and three Miraj-20000 squadrons will reduce 12 more Indian Air Force squadron. In this situation, by the year 2035, only 25 squadrons will survive with the Air Force, which may lead to a serious challenge to the country’s defense preparations.
Can the strength of Indian Air Force be equal to Pakistan?
If only 25 squadrons remain with the Indian Air Force, then it will be equal to Pakistan Air Force. However, there may be a difference in quality of both. It will also depend on how long Pakistan buys Fifth Generation Jet J-35 from China. If Pakistan achieves Chinese Fifth Generation Jet in the next 4-5 years, then it can become a challenging situation for India.
However, the Pakistani Air Force also has many old fighter aircraft, such as F-16, JF-17 (which was developed with China), and Mirage III/V, who has now completed its age. On the other hand, the Indian Air Force has modern aircraft such as Rafael, SU-30MKI and Tejas, which have advance avionics, stealth capabilities and network-focused warfare capabilities, which Pakistan do not have. Therefore, despite the number of equality in the number, India’s Air Force can maintain an edge over Pakistan due to its better technology and fighter capacity.
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