Latest news with #TejasMark-1A
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fighter jets: Flying towards scary parity with Pakistan
File photo of an IAF MiG-21 passing in front of Sukhoi-30 jets before a drill at Kalaikunda airbase in Bengal October onwards, India will have just 29 fighter jet squadrons- Pakistan has 25. That's near-parity, and a scary one, especially because Pakistan's 'iron brother' China has 66 squadrons. A squadron typically has 18-20 fighter jets. In two months' time, India will have 522 fighter jets. Pakistan has 450, and China, 1,200. Air chief A P Singh said India needs to induct at least 40 fighter jets every year. That, currently, looks worse than impossible. Some pundits say that unless India ups its game, more squadrons with old fighter jets, Mirage, Jaguar and other MiG variants, will be phased out, it will have the same number of fighter squadrons as Pakistan in less than 10 years. The proximate cause for this worry is IAF phasing out its last two MiG-21 squadrons. But the bigger reasons have been at play for years. The MMRCA Shock: The 2015 cancellation of the 126-jet Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft deal made a huge difference. The 36 Rafale jets India acquired through a govt-to-govt deal with France were nowhere near enough given IAF's ageing fighter fleet. India has ordered 26 more Rafales, but for the Navy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo Plans, Plans, Plans…: There are plans to buy 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft. But nothing's moved on this. Made In India? The grand plan was that indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft will maintain India's air superiority over Pakistan. IAF currently has just about two squadrons, 38 fighters, of Tejas Mark-1. Delivery of the improved Tejas Mark-1A jets, 83 of which are supposed to be delivered by HAL, has blown through multiple production deadlines. Not even one is in service. This is in part thanks to massive delays in the delivery of GE's F-404 engines, and partly because of so-far-unsolved issues with integrating Astra air-to-air missiles and fixing certain critical avionics. IAF hopes another 97 Tejas Mark-1A will come through, along with another 108 Tejas Mark-2 variant with the more powerful GE F-414 engine. The engine is to be co-produced in India with 80% transfer of technology. But it's all on paper now. Then, there's the proposed 5th generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. The most that can be said about this is that it's an idea. Engine Failure: The key hurdle in Made in India programme is the inability to produce an indigenous jet engine. The old Kaveri engine development project failed to meet standards. Modern fighter jet engines are complex machines with thousands of parts that must withstand high pressure and temperatures. It requires billions of dollars to develop a fighter jet engine. Essentially, an engine has four parts- compressor, combustion chamber, turbine and nozzle. The hot part of the engine, combustion chamber and turbine blades, is tricky to get right, requiring advanced ceramics. But India's talent depth in material science is shallow. Only a few thousand materials engineers graduate each year. India even struggles to manufacture basic stuff like ceramic-coated electrodes, required in the production of green hydrogen. These are imported. So, forget about fighter jet engines made here, at least in the near future. Are Drones The Solution? Many pundits reckon large military platforms like fighter jets and warships are becoming redundant, given the changing nature of warfare. Ukraine has done amazing things with drones in its war against Russian aggression, taking out Russian warships and fighter jets with UAVs that cost a fraction of the price of a jet. Ukraine will produce 4 million drones this year. India's armed forces have talked about using many more drones. But there are two issues. Any domestic production will have to account for ever-evolving drone tech. And India needs a specialist corps to operate drones or specialist drone subunits. Those who challenge the drones-are-it strategy point out that India's strategic security theatre is very different from Ukraine's, and fighter jets provide a penetrative, offensive capability that drones can't, at least not now. So, the reality that India and Pakistan are almost at parity when it comes to fighter jets is still scary.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IAF will now have almost same number of fighter squadrons as Pakistan's air force. And it can get worse
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel From October, India's fighter jet strength will drop to 29 squadrons, bringing it close to Pakistan's 25—a near-parity that raises concern, particularly with China's air fleet at a much higher 66 squadrons. A typical squadron comprises 18 to 20 jets. In terms of aircraft count, India will have around 522 jets, while Pakistan has about 450, and China nearly 1, chief A P Singh said India needs to induct at least 40 fighter jets every year. That, currently, looks worse than impossible, says a Times of India report by Rudroneel experts told TOI that unless India ups its game — more squadrons with old fighter jets, Mirage, Jaguar and other MiG variants, will be phased out — it will have the same number of fighter squadrons as Pakistan in less than 10 years. The immediate trigger for this concern is the Indian Air Force retiring its last two MiG-21 squadrons . However, the underlying issues have been developing over several scrapping of the 126-aircraft Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal in 2015 had a major impact on the Indian Air Force's combat strength. While India later procured 36 Rafale jets through a government-to-government deal with France, it fell short of addressing the needs of the IAF's ageing fleet. A fresh order for 26 Rafales has been placed — but for the Indian are plans to buy 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft. But nothing's moved on had banked on the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft to ensure air superiority over Pakistan . However, the Indian Air Force currently operates only about two squadrons—38 Tejas Mark-1 jets. The delivery of 83 upgraded Tejas Mark-1A aircraft by HAL has missed several production deadlines, and not a single jet has entered service yet. Delays in receiving GE's F-404 engines, along with unresolved issues related to integrating Astra air-to-air missiles and critical avionics, have contributed to the hopes another 97 Tejas Mark-1A will come through, along with another 108 Tejas Mark-2 variant with the more powerful GE F-414 engine. The engine is to be co-produced in India with 80% transfer of technology. But it's all on paper there's the proposed 5th generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. The most that can be said about this is that it's an idea, says TOI.A major challenge facing the 'Made in India' defence programme is the lack of an indigenous fighter jet engine. The earlier Kaveri engine project could not meet the required standards. Developing modern jet engines is a highly complex task involving thousands of components designed to operate under extreme pressure and temperatures—and demands an investment of several billion an engine has four parts — compressor, combustion chamber, turbine and hot part of the engine — combustion chamber and turbine blades — is tricky to get right, requiring advanced ceramics. But India's talent depth in material science is shallow. Only a few thousand materials engineers graduate each year. "India even struggles to manufacture basic stuff like ceramic-coated electrodes, required in the production of green hydrogen. These are imported. So, forget about fighter jet engines made here — at least in the near future," says defence experts believe that traditional military assets like fighter jets and warships may be losing relevance due to the evolving nature of warfare. Ukraine's use of drones in its conflict with Russia has highlighted this shift—low-cost UAVs have successfully targeted Russian warships and fighter jets. Ukraine is expected to produce 4 million drones this year. While India's armed forces have expressed intent to scale up drone use, challenges remain. Domestic production must keep pace with rapidly advancing drone technology, and the military will need dedicated drone units or a specialised drone corps to operate them who challenge the drones-are-it strategy point out that India's strategicsecurity theatre is very different from Ukraine's, and fighter jets provide a penetrative, offensive capability that drones can't, at least not now. So, the reality that India and Pakistan are almost at parity when it comes to fighter jets is still scary, TOI adds.(With inputs from TOI)
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
The MiG-21 is set to retire. It is about time
Written by Kuldip Singh On July 22, the Ministry of Defence announced that the last two squadrons of the iconic MiG-21 fighter-interceptor aircraft in the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be retired by September this year, and gradually replaced by the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mark-1A (LCA Mark-1A). Although these MiG squadrons are presently based at Nal air base (Rajasthan), the ceremonial decommissioning will be held at Chandigarh air base on September 19. This will mark the end of over 60 years of legendary service. The phasing-out, originally scheduled for 2022 but delayed on account of non-availability of the replacement LCA, will drop the IAF's active squadron strength from 31 (against a sanctioned fighter squadron strength of 42) to 29 – till the first set of LCAs start to arrive by March 2026. Traditionally, the West has followed a revolutionary/generational-jump design policy for its new military platforms. In contrast, the erstwhile USSR/present-day Russia has espoused the evolutionary design model, in which most of its new military products consist of incremental and evolutionary upgrades. The single-engine-single-seater MiG-21 was thus an evolutionary upgrade of the Soviet jet fighter series starting with the subsonic MiG-15 and MiG-17, and the supersonic MiG-19. With a maximum speed of 2230 km/hr, and armed with a 23 mm twin-barrel cannon and four air-to-air missiles, the MiG-21, then comparable to the US's F-104 Starfighter or French Mirage-III, saw several variants, retrofits and improvements, and was thus able to combine ground-attack and fighter-interceptor characteristics in a single aircraft. Designed by Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) of the erstwhile USSR and introduced into service in 1959, nearly 11,680 of this aircraft were eventually produced (approximately 10,650 in the USSR, 195 in former Czechoslovakia, and 840 in India), thereby becoming the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War. Named 'Fishbed' by NATO, the MiG-21 has served in the air forces of over 60 countries, with some (including India) still flying it. India opted for a strategic partnership with the USSR in 1955, and the IAF opted to purchase the MiG-21 in 1961 over several other Western competitors as the USSR had offered a full transfer of technology as well as the rights for indigenous assembly in India – and in 1963, the IAF inducted the MiG-21 as its first supersonic fighter. Reportedly, since then, 1,100 to 1,200 MiG-21s (including the original MiG-21, MiG-21PF/Type-77, Type-96, BIS and Bisons versions) have passed through the IAF's inventory, with the IAF operating around 400 MiG-21s in 19 squadrons at one time. It has been unfairly labelled as the 'Flying Coffin' in recent times on account of numerous crashes. The labelling is unfair on three main counts. Firstly, fighter jets are incredibly complex machines with all their parts packed in a compact airframe – combine fuel, hydraulic fluids, electric circuitry, and explosives. Now, add a stressed environment to that mix, and one minor issue can send a flying machine into a catastrophic descent. Even the US Air Force's latest, most sophisticated jet, the F-35, has witnessed 31 crashes since 2006. Secondly, no country in the world, including the US, has the wherewithal to simplistically replace its fighter aircraft inventory every two or three decades. Such numbers also cannot be manufactured in short time-frames. Incidentally, the US Air Force still flies the F-16 (first inducted in the 1970s; periodically upgraded). Thirdly, no professional air force – and the IAF is among the best in the world – wants to undermine its operational capability through loss of aircraft. An objective assessment will reveal that the IAF has done an incredible, cost-effective job of nurturing, tending and utilising the MiG-21 for India's defence. The 'aircraft accident rate' is calculated as the number of accidents resulting in loss of an aircraft per 100,000 hours of flying. The infamous F-86 Sabre of US-origin (which Indian pilots downed in the 1965 Indo-Pak War), had an average mishap rate of 4.4 crashes per 10,000 flight hours. The USAF's mishap rate (of all combat aircraft) was 1.3 in 2018, down from 5.2 in 1960. In contrast, the IAF recorded the lowest-ever accident rate of 0.20-0.27 in the 2020-2024 period, which speaks volumes of the professional focus and exceptional management of a dated inventory by the IAF. That said, technology is progressing at an exponential rate. With technology being a principal force multiplier, present and future wars cannot be fought with weapons of yore – and there are limits to retrofitting and upgrading aircraft built to technological standards of over half-a-century ago. Additionally, by improving accuracy, technology allows higher levels of lethality to be wielded by smaller numbers, and thereby, facilitates downsizing of forces. A couple of 'stealthy' aircraft, using advanced avionics and intelligent weapons, can precisely destroy a large target which otherwise may have required a squadron of legacy aircraft. As India looks beyond its borders and shores, and as the IAF expands its strategic ambit, it needs combat aircraft with technologies compatible with its operational mandate and wars of the future. To paraphrase Tennyson: The old order of the Mig-21s now must yield place to the new. The writer is a retired Brigadier from the Indian Army. He also served as Principal Director in India's National Security Council Secretariat
Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
IAF to phase out MiG-21 fighter jets in September 2025
The Russian-origin MiG-21 fighter jets are set to be phased out of service in September this year, as per the Indian Air Force plan to replace the remaining squadrons with the indigenously developed Tejas Mark-1A aircraft. In October 2023, the jets participated for the last time in the annual Air Force Day parade. A timeline had been finalised to phase out the Mig-21s then. At a press conference around the same time, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhary had said a contract to procure 97 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft at a cost of around Rs 1.15 lakh crore will be concluded soon. This was in addition to the Rs 48,000-crore deal signed with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 2021 to procure 83 such jets. 'We will replace the MiG-21 squadrons with the LCA Mark-1A…. The induction of the LCA Mark-1A will fill the gap of the outgoing MiG-21s,' he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The MiG-21s were the mainstay of the IAF for a long time since its induction in the early 1960s. The IAF had procured more than 870 MiG-21 fighters to boost its overall combat prowess.
Hans India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Engine received for indigenous Tejas Mark-1A, production set to accelerate
New Delhi: The production of India's indigenous fighter jet Tejas Mark-1A is set to gain momentum with the arrival of the GE-404 jet engine from the United States. This marks the second engine received from American manufacturer General Electric for the Tejas Mark-1A programme. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the state-run aerospace company responsible for manufacturing the Tejas, is expected to receive a total of 12 GE-404 engines by the end of the current financial year. These engines will power the Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets, which have been ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF has placed an order for 83 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft, as it looks to strengthen its depleting fleet with homegrown fighter jets. The Air Force currently operates two squadrons of the earlier Mark-1 variant, stationed at the Sulur Airbase in Tamil Nadu. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has previously expressed concern over the delay in the delivery of the Mark-1A jets, citing the non-availability of engines as a key issue. HAL, too, acknowledged the delay and attributed it to the wait for imported engines. Now, with engine supplies resuming, deliveries of the new aircraft are expected to begin soon. The Mark-1A variant, an upgraded version of the LCA Tejas, is a key part of India's push for self-reliance in defence under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. The Ministry of Defence is working to make the LCA project the backbone of the Air Force, with plans underway to raise additional squadrons based on the aircraft. The Centre has already approved the procurement of 83 Mark-1A jets, with a proposal for 97 more under consideration. In total, 220 LCA Tejas aircraft are expected to gradually replace the ageing MiG-21, MiG-29, and Mirage fighters in the IAF fleet. Additionally, the government has greenlighted the development of the LCA Mark-2, also referred to as the Medium Weight Fighter, further expanding the indigenous fighter jet programme.
