The Indian Armed Forces consists of Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. These three arms and the Indian Coast Guard operate a combination of combat, reconnaissance, tanker, and transport aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI, assembled in India, forms the major inventory of the Indian combat aircraft. HAL Tejas, the indigenous fourth generation fighter aircraft, became part of the air force in 2015. Dassault Rafale is the latest entry into the air force, having been inducted in July 2020. Other combat aircraft include the Russian Mikoyan MiG-29, French Dassault Mirage, and British SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft. The armed forces operate a combination of various transport aircraft including tactical and strategic airlifters. Majority of this fleet is composed of the legacy Antonov An-32, Dornier 228, and Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft. In the 2010s, the air force inducted large American air-lifters such as Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin C-130J into the fleet. In 2023, it started inducting Airbus C-295 transport aircraft to replace the older aircraft in its fleet.
The Indian helicopter fleet consists of the French Aérospatiale Alouette III and SA 315B Lama, which were license built in India. The Russian made Mil Mi-17 and Mi-24 forms the major complement of the helicopter fleet. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has designed and built various helicopters locally for the usage of armed forces such as the HAL Dhruv, Prachand, and Rudra. Since the late 2020s, India has inducted American made Boeing AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook into the fleet. The Indian fleet also consists of various other reconnaissance and trainer aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles which include both local and imported planes.
Air Force
thumb|[[Dassault Rafale]]
thumb|[[HAL Tejas]]
thumb|[[Sukhoi Su-30MKI]]
thumb|[[Dassault Mirage 2000#Variants|Dassault Mirage 2000I]]
thumb|right|[[DRDO_AEW%26CS#Platforms|Netra AEW&C on Embraer ERJ 145]]
thumb|right|[[Boeing C-17 Globemaster III]]
thumb|[[Airbus C-295]]
thumb|[[Boeing AH-64 Apache]]
thumb|[[HAL Prachand]]
thumb|[[HAL LUH]]
thumb|[[HAL Kiran]]
The Indian Air Force was established in 1932. The air force operates about 90 air squadrons including 29 equipped with fighter aircraft. The air force maintains a fleet of combat, patrol, and Military transport aircraft, various helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles across more than 60 air bases in the country.
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Variant
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="6" | Combat
|-
| Dassault Mirage 2000
| rowspan="3"|France
| rowspan="9" |Multirole
| Mirage 2000H/I
| align="center"|36
| All aircraft being upgraded to 2000I variant
|-
| rowspan="2" |Dassault Rafale
| Rafale EH
| align="center" |28
| Single-seat version, 114 planned
|-
|Rafale DH
| align="center" |8
|Two-seat version
|-
| rowspan="2" | HAL Tejas
| rowspan="2" | India
| Tejas Mk 1
| align="center" |30
|
|-
| Tejas Mk 1A
| align="center" |
| 141 on order
|-
| rowspan="3"|Mikoyan MiG-29
| rowspan="3"|Soviet Union
| MiG-29B
| align="center" |40
|
|-
| MiG-29UPG
| align="center" |12
| Upgraded version of MiG-29B
|-
| MiG-29UB
| align="center" |7
| Two-seat version
|-
|-
| Sukhoi Su-30MKI
| Russia / India
| Su-30MKI
| align="center" |258
| 12 on order, 84 to be upgraded
|-
| rowspan="2" | SEPECAT Jaguar
| rowspan="2" | United Kingdom / India
| rowspan="2" | Attack
| Jaguar-IM
| align="center"|8
|Single-seat maritime strike version
|-
| Jaguar-IS
| align="center"|78
|Single-seat ground attack version
|-
| rowspan="2" |HAL Tejas
| rowspan="2" |India
| rowspan="2" |Lead-in fighter trainer / conversion trainer
| Tejas Mk 1 Trainer
| align="center" |6
|-
| Tejas Mk 1A Trainer
| align="center" |–
| 29 on order
|Two-seat training version
|
|-
| Embraer EMB-145-I
| Brazil / India
| Netra Mk1/Mk1A
| align="center"|3
| 6 planned
|-
| Airbus A321
| Europe / India
| Netra Mk2
| align="center" | –
| 6 ex-Air India aircraft, to be modified
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;"| Reconnaissance
|-
| Bombardier Global 5000
| Canada / Israel
| ELINT
| Global 5000
| align="center" |2
|-
| Boeing 707
| rowspan="3"|United States
| rowspan="4"|Reconnaissance
| 707-337C
| align="center" |1
|-
| Boeing 737
| 737-700
| align="center"|2
| align="center" |3 6 planned
|-
| Boeing KC-135
| United States
| rowspan="2"|Tanker
| KC-135R
| align="center"|1
| Wet leased from Metrea
|-
| Ilyushin Il-78
| Soviet Union
| Il-78MKI
| align="center"|6
|-
| Embraer Legacy 600
| Brazil
| VIP transport
| Legacy 6000
| align="center"|4
|
|-
| Airbus C-295
| Europe / India
| rowspan="6"|Tactical airlifter
| C-295W
| align="center" |16
| 40 on order
|-
| rowspan="2" |Antonov An-32
| rowspan="2" |Soviet Union
| An-32RE
| align="center" |55
|
|-
| An-32
| align="center" |47
|
|-
| Dornier 228
| Germany / India
| 228-201
| align="center" |62
|-
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748
| United Kingdom
| HS 748
| align="center" |56
| align="center" |12
|
|-
| Aérospatiale SA 315B
| Cheetah
| align="center"|18
|-
| Boeing CH-47
| United States
| rowspan="2"|Transport
| CH-47F
| align="center" |15
|-
| HAL Rudra
| India
| Rudra
| align="center" |16
|
|-
| Mil Mi-24
| Russia
| Mi-25/35P
| align="center"|15
|-
| Pilatus PC-7
| Switzerland
| PC-7 Mk II
| align="center"|74
|
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;"| UAV
|-
| IAI Heron
| rowspan="2"|Israel
| rowspan="2"|Surveillance
| Heron Mk II
| align="center"|9
| 2 on order
|-
| IAI Searcher
| Searcher Mk II
| align="center"|Few
|
|-
| MQ-9 Reaper
| United States
| Combat / Surveillance
| SkyGuardian
| align="center"|–
| 8 on order
|}
Army Aviation Corps
<!--Do not add loitering munitions here. Those are not aircraft, and are similar to guided bombs.-->
thumb|[[HAL Dhruv]]
thumb|[[HAL Rudra]]
thumb|[[HAL Prachand]]
thumb|[[IAI Heron]]
The Army Aviation Corps was formed on 1 November 1986. It operates a series of helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Variant
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;"| Helicopters
|-
| Aérospatiale Alouette III
| rowspan="2" |France / India
| rowspan="4" |Utility
| Chetak
| align="center"|60
| rowspan="2" | To be phased out by 2033.
|-
| Aérospatiale SA 315B
| Cheetah
| align="center"|115
|-
| HAL Dhruv
| rowspan="2" |India
| Dhruv Mk I/II/III
| align="center" |78
| 25 on order
|-
| HAL Light Utility Helicopter
| LUH
| align="center"|–
| 6 on order;
|-
| Boeing AH-64
| United States
| rowspan="3" | Attack
| AH-64E
| align="center" |6
|
|-
| HAL Prachand
| rowspan="2" |India
| Prachand
| align="center" |5
|
|-
| DRDO Nishant
| Nishant
| align="center"|13
|
|-
| IAI Heron
| rowspan="2" |Israel
| Heron Mk II
| align="center" |4
|
|-
| IAI Searcher
| Searcher Mk I/II
| align="center" |12
|
|-
| IFT Switch
| rowspan="6" |India
| Switch 1.0
| align="center" |200
|More on order
|-
| Johnnette JF
| JF-2
| align="center" |Unknown
|
|-
| Newspace Beluga/Nimbus
| Swarm
| Beluga/Nimbus
| align="center" |100
|
|-
| Endure Sabal
| rowspan="2" | Cargo
| Sabal 20
| align="center" |Unknown
|
|-
| Raphe mPhibr MR
| MR-20
| align="center" |48
|-
| MQ-9 Reaper
| United States
| Combat / Surveillance
| SkyGuardian
| align="center"|–
| 8 on order
|1 on order The air arm maintains a fleet of combat and maritime patrol aircraft, various helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:l center; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Variant
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | Combat
|-
| Dassault Rafale
| France
| rowspan="3"|Multirole
| Rafale M
| align="center"|
| 26 (22 single-seat and four twin-seat) on order
|-
| rowspan="2"|Mikoyan MiG-29K
| rowspan="2"|Russia
| MiG-29K
| align="center"|34
|
|-
| MiG-29KUB
| align="center"|6
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;"| Patrol / Utility
|-
| Boeing P-8
| United States
| ASW / Patrol
| P-8I
| align="center"|12
|-
| Britten-Norman BN-2
| United Kingdom
| Patrol / Utility
| BN-2B/2T
| align="center"|4 8 more on order
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;"| Helicopters
|-
| Aérospatiale Alouette III
| France / India
| rowspan="2"|Utility
| Chetak
| align="center"|42
| align="center"|20
| 4 on order
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;"| Trainer
|-
| BAE Hawk
| United Kingdom / India
| rowspan="2"|Jet trainer
| Hawk 132
| align="center"|17
|10 planned
|-
| IAI Heron
| Israel
| Heron Mk I
| align="center" |10
|
|-
| General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
| United States
| Combat / Surveillance
| SeaGuardian
| align="center"|2
| 15 on order The coast guard operates various ships and aircraft including fixed wing reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters.
| align="center"|41
| 2 upgraded in 2024, 2 inducted in 2026;
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;"| Helicopters
|-
| Aérospatiale Alouette III
| France / India
| rowspan="3"|Utility
| Chetak
| align="center"|19
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|HAL Dhruv
| rowspan="2"|India
| Dhruv Mk I
| align="center"|4
|
|-
| Dhruv Mk III
| align="center"| 19
| 11 on order
|}
See also
- Active military equipment by country
- Historical aircraft of the Indian Air Force
- Indian Army equipment
- Indian military missiles
- Indian military radars
- Indian Navy ships
- Indian weapons of mass destruction
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
- The Official Home Page of Indian Air Force.