Indian Air Force: Difference between revisions

== Personnel ==

In 2017, there was a shortage of 15,503 personnel out of an authorized strength of 155,000.

In mid-2019, the air force had 12,142 officers out of an authorized strength of 12,625, and 129,094 enlisted personnel out of an authorized 142,917.

Personnel strength on 1 March 2022 was 138,994 enlisted and 12,143 officers.

{| class="wikitable"

In 2025, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) listed active personnel strength at 149,900.

=== Rank structure ===

* <abbr>t</abbr>

* <abbr>e</abbr>

|-

| colspan="2" |Marshal of the Indian Air Force

==== Airmen ====

The duty of an airman is to make sure that all the air and ground operations run smoothly. From operating Air Defence systems to fitting missiles, they are involved in all activities of an air base and give support to various technical and non-technical jobs. The airmen of Technical trades are responsible for maintenance, repair and prepare for use the propulsion system of aircraft and other airborne weapon delivery system, Radar, Voice/Data transmission and reception equipment, latest airborne weapon delivery systems, all types of light, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic systems of airborne missiles, aero engines, aircraft fuelling equipment and heavy duty mechanical vehicles, cranes and loading equipment etc. The competent and qualified airmen from technical trades also participate in flying as flight engineers, Flight Signallers and Flight Gunners. The recruitment of personnel below officer rank is conducted through All India Selection Tests and Recruitment Rallies. All India Selection Tests are conducted among 15 Airmen Selection Centres (ASCs) located all over India. These centres are under the direct functional control of Central Airmen Selection Board (CASB), with administrative control and support by respective commands. The role of CASB is to carry out selection and enrolment of airmen from the Airmen Selection Centres for their respective commands. Candidates initially take a written test at the time of application. Those passing the written test undergo a physical fitness test, an interview conducted in English, and medical examination. Candidates for training are selected from individuals passing the battery of tests, on the basis of their performance. Upon completion of training, an individual becomes an airman. Some MWOs and WOs are granted honorary commission in the last year of their service as an honorary Flying Officer or Flight Lieutenant before retiring from the service.

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* <abbr>t</abbr>

* <abbr>e</abbr>

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| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |

| colspan="2" |'''No insignia'''

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=== Multi-role fighters and strike aircraft ===

The Indian Air Force has been reported to have a shortage of combat aircraft count. As of December 2025, the IAF has 29 combat squadrons as against a sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. This strength is on par with the IAF's fighter fleet during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965. The squadron strength of the IAF had peaked in 1996 at 41 squadrons but dwindled gradually to 35 units in 2013 and to 31 in 2025. In response, the Ministry of Defence appointed a five-member Empowered Committee for Capability Enhancement of IAF which analysed and reported the "key thrust areas and recommendations" necessary for "achieving the desired capability enhancement goals" to the Ministry.

* Dassault Rafale: the latest addition to India's aircraft arsenal; India has signed a deal for 36 Dassault Rafale multirole fighter aircraft. As of June 2022, 36 Rafale fighters are in service with the Indian Air Force.

* HAL Tejas: IAF MiG-21s are to be replaced by domestically built HAL Tejas. The first Tejas IAF unit, No. 45 Squadron IAF ''Flying Daggers'', was formed on 1 July 2016, followed by No. 18 Squadron IAF "Flying Bullets" on 27 May 2020. Initially stationed at Bangalore, the first squadron was then to be transferred to its home base in Sulur, Tamil Nadu. In February 2021, the Indian Air Force ordered 83 Tejas, including 40 Mark 1, 73 single-seat Mark 1As and 10 two-seat Mark 1 trainers. Total 123 ordered.

* Mikoyan MiG-29: the MiG-29, known as ''Baaz'' (Hindi for Hawk), is a dedicated air superiority fighter, constituting the IAF's second line of defence after the Su-30MKI. There are 69 MiG-29s in service, all of which have been recently upgraded to the MiG-29UPG standard, after the decision was made in 2016 to upgrade the remaining 21 MiG-29s to the UPG standard.

* Dassault Mirage 2000: the Mirage 2000, known as ''Vajra'' (Sanskrit for diamond or thunderbolt) in Indian service. The IAF currently operates 49 Mirage 2000Hs and 8 Mirage 2000 TH all of which are currently being upgraded to the Mirage 2000-5 MK2 standard with Indian specific modifications and 2 Mirage 2000-5 MK2 are in service as of March 2015. The IAF's Mirage 2000 were scheduled to be phased out by 2030.

=== Airborne early warning and control system ===

The IAF operates three Netra Embraer ERJ 145I aircraft. The IAF also operates the EL/W-2090Phalcon AEW&C incorporated in a Beriev A-50 platform. A total of three such systems are currently in service, with two further potential orders. India is also investing in a DRDO project to develop six new Airborne AEW&C aircraft, as an upgrade to the Netra systems.

=== Aerial refuelling ===

The IAF currently operates six Ilyushin Il-78MKIs in the aerial refueling (tanker) role.

=== Transport aircraft ===

The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 once formed the backbone of the IAF's transport fleet, but are now used mainly for training and communication duties.A replacement in the form of licence-built C-295 is currently being commissioned into the Air Force.

=== Trainer aircraft ===

|-

|Spike NLOS

| rowspan="5" |Air launched Anti-tank guided missile

|—

|9M120 Ataka-V

(AT-9 Spiral-2)

|—

| Russia

|9K114 Shturm

(AT-6 Spiral)

|800

| Russia

|-

|Dhruvastra

|—

| India

|-

|BrahMos

|Supersonic air launched cruise missile

|Unknown

|-

|Storm Shadow

|Subsonic air launched cruise missile

|Unknown

|-

|Kh-35

|Subsonic air launched cruise missile

|Unknown

|-

|Rampage

|Air launched ballistic missile

|Unknown

|-

|Pralay

|Short-range quasi ballistic missile

|120 on order

|-

|Prithvi II

|Short-range ballistic missile

|Unknown

|-

|Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) Mk-II

|Exo-atmospheric Anti-ballistic missile / Anti-satellite weapon

|Unknown

|-

|Advanced Air Defence (AAD)

|Endo-atmospheric Anti-ballistic missile

|Unknown

|-

|Prithvi Air Defence (PAD)

|Exo-atmospheric Anti-ballistic missile

|Unknown

|-

|S-400 Triumph

|Long-range surface-to-air missile system

|3 regiments

|-

|Barak-8 (MR-SAM)

| rowspan="2" |Medium-range surface-to-air missile

|18 squadrons

|-

|Akash

|15 squadrons (120 launchers)

| India

|-

|SPYDER

|Short and Medium range surface-to-air missile

|18 Systems (Batteries)

|-

|S-125 (SA-3 Goa)

|25 Squadrons for IAF

| Soviet Union

|-

|9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko)

|80

| Soviet Union

|9K38 Igla (SA-18)

----9K338 Igla-S

|Man-portable air-defense system

|2500

=== Current acquisitions ===

IAF's current orders include

* EADS CASA C-295: 55 on order

* IAI Harop UCAVs

=== DRDO and HAL projects ===

In partnership with ''Threye'', a Delhi based game developer, The IAF launched ''Guardians of the Skies'', a roleplaying combat game for mobile devices in 2014. The IAF would later also create a successor, titled ''Indian Air Force: A Cut Above'', in 2019.