India Defence: IAF at 94 – Much to Celebrate, More to Contemplate
On the IAF Day, vignettes of the glorious history of the Air Force and what lies ahead amidst organisational, acquisition and integration flows.
The Indian Air Force [IAF] held the 94th anniversary parade at the Hindan air base celebrating over nine decades of the force since formation prior to the Second World War on October 8, 1932.
The operational saga of the IAF commenced in February 1942. No.1 Squadron in Burma [Now Myanmar] initially flew tactical recce missions followed up with targeting missions against the principal Japanese air bases at Mae-Haungsaun, Cheingmai and Chiangrai in Thailand by hanging 250 lbs bombs on the Lysanders.
Post Independence, the IAF carried out the first major operation- air lifting 1 Sikh to Srinagar on October 27th thereby saving the Kashmir Valley from the ‘raiders,’ launched by the Pakistan Army to seize the seat of power of then Maharaja of State of Jammu and Kashmir.
From there on the IAF can be justly proud of being ‘Forever in Operations’ carrying on missions to support the Indian Army during peace and war – from the glaciated Siachen to the dense jungles of the North East.
In recent years Operation Safed Sagar during Operation Vijay in Kargil 1999 and Operation Sindoor in 2025 have been much vaunted.
For more contemporary times, speaking at the Anniversary Parade in the Hindon Air Base on October 07, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said the force is ready to deal with any challenge and pointed to performance during Operation Sindoor. “We are alert, ready to meet any challenges; IAF showed speed of combat operation during Operation Sindoor,” the Air Chief said. On the employment of air power, “Conflicts in parts of world have shown air power is primary means of protecting interests of a nation,” Singh added.
Going forward as he demits the uniform and Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes over there are multiple issues to contemplate on.
Air Power and Strategic Objectives
It is not just maintenance of air “superiority” defined simply as creation of conditions for the favourable operations for the armed forces in a multi domain environment against twin fused adversaries China’s PLA Air Force and Pakistan Air Force but also the use of air power to achieve strategic objectives.
As Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion launched by the United States and Israel led by the respective Air Forces perhaps one of the most powerful combat strike fleets witnessed in modern military history demonstrate the inability to convert an air campaign into achievement of the political objective vis a vis Iran. This clearly highlights the limitations of standalone air power.
While these restrictions are historically known but each time a new phase of air capabilities emerge there is a push to demonstrate otherwise – the US/Israel and Iran war proves once again that air power can be decimating but it cannot win the campaign.
In the Indian context while Operation Sindoor achieved the objective of neutralizing the terrorist infrastructure in terms of HQs of the banned organization the Jaish e Mohammad and Lashkar E Taiyyaba, these covert strike arms of the Pakistan Army are in revival mode.
Another significant success for the IAF was destruction of multiple air and ground assets of the Pakistan Armed Forces in the follow up operations successfully while denying effective counter strikes by the Pak forces.
At the end of the day, despite the humiliation of losses, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir propelled himself to the rank of Field Marshal and Chief of Defence Forces. Such is the bane of Pakistani politics that a general who should have been removed from command was pitched to the top.
Theatre Commands
Analyzing these lessons the IAF needs to embrace the multi domain doctrine and to achieve which integration of Theatre Commands apparently resisted by the Air Force will be essential. These will not emasculate the IAF potential but only integrate the assets in the larger national doctrine of success in the future.
Air Marshal Dixit as the CISC propounded separation of ‘force generation’ and ‘force employment’ which is the essence of theaterisation will now have to convince his Blue Warriors to adopt the Purple.
The other significant factor is the current state of IAF combat power.
State of IAF Combat Power
IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh who during his successful tenure has been forthright on the slow pace of induction of combat fighters called for "greater capacity, faster induction and more combat mass".
“There is some extra delay this time, and there is no doubt that it is going to hurt us,” Singh said at his annual media briefing ahead of the 94th IAF Day on October 8. “We need to induct two fighter squadrons every year. That means anything between 36 and 40 aircraft should be produced and inducted into the IAF for us to stop going down from the current 30 fighter squadrons and start improving towards the target of 42. Actually, we need even more than that.”
On the math of the inductions in the future, Singh said, “Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is talking about producing 20 LCA Mk-1As every year. If the MRFA deal goes through, we will get about 12 aircraft per year from that contract. That makes the number around 32. We also have a contract for 12 Su-30 aircraft. Let’s say if six come in one year and six come in another year, so we will be in the region of 35-40 aircraft per year. We are hoping that these things will happen and then we will be able to achieve the pace of growth that we have set for ourselves.”
Now it will be up to his successor Air Marshal Dixit to pursue these numbers through sustained cajoling, coercing and pursuing the Ministry of Defence acquisition wing, the DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and other agencies involved.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra, Force Multipliers and Integration
Mission Sudarshan Chakra the air defence shield is a gigantic task ahaed. The IAF fleet in terms of force multipliers particularly Air Borne Early Warning and Command Systems, Aerial refuellers, transport aircraft and helicopters are also at various stages of upgradation and induction with multiple programmes. Pragmatic solutions will have to be found as the challenges are many one, being balancing priorities within the budgetary allocations.
Integration of these assets especially the combat Vayu Link will have to be strengthened
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the heroic air warriors of the Indian Air Force will live by the motto TOUCH THE SKY WITH GLORY in the years ahead. Organisational synergy and pursuing tangible capacity building would be the touchstone to achieve the same.
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