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Blessing In Disguise? Indian Air Force’s Fighter Jet Squadron Dwindles But Its Missile Units Shoot Up

The Indian Air Force (IAF), like the rest of the world, has noted that since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, Kyiv’s missiles are all that stand between the Russian Air Force and control of Ukraine’s skies.

In 2023, the number of surface-to-air missile (SAMs) units in the IAF has surpassed the number of fighter jet squadrons in its fleet, although not by design.

The dwindling fighter jet squadrons have been a concern for the force. A representative of the IAF had told a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense in 2023 that the force has 31 fighter jet squadrons against the sanctioned strength of 42.

With its acquisition process beset by a slew of delays, the representative maintained that the number of fighter jet squadrons is likely to go down further by 2029, and by 2030 the air force will likely have 29-30 squadrons.

Contrary to this, public sources indicate that the IAF presently has nearly 50 units of SAMs of various ranges. The IAF has Russian-built Pechora (SA3-Goa), OSA-AK, and Igla; S-400 air defense system and Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) made with the help of Israel; and indigenously-built Akash surface to air missiles.

Air Marshal PK Barbora, former Vice Chief of the IAF, told the EurAsian Times: “In the Ukraine-Russia war, both sides have managed to shoot down aircraft using some form of AD weapons. SAMs are indeed important weapons in the inventory and will play a major role in the wars to come.”

In the Russia-Ukraine war, the footage of air operations has been limited to carefully curated cockpit footage or footage shot from the ground about an aircraft flying past or sometimes being engaged by SAMs.

A research paper by Justin Bronk, an air-warfare specialist with the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI) think tank in Britain, said: “The effective employment of these systems by Ukrainian forces has denied Russia air superiority over Ukraine and continues to force the VKS (Russian Aerospace Forces) to operate very cautiously near the front lines. Despite the overall mismatch in force ratios in favor of the VKS in the air domain and the Russian ground forces on land, the scale of the SEAD/DEAD challenge for the VKS is significant.”

Ukraine’s ground-based SA-11, SA-8, and S-300 SAMs forced Russian aircraft to fly low inside the shoulder-fired man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) threat envelope, allowing Ukraine to deny its skies to Russian fighter jets.

The implication of how the warfare has progressed in Russia has not been lost on India. The change in the fleet strengths of the IAF has come about due to delays in the acquisition of fighter aircraft. But it came about as the IAF, learning its lessons from the protracted war, brought changes to its doctrine, underscoring the important role SAM has in future warfare that will be more asymmetric and hybrid.

Two distinct but complementary operations form part of Counter Air Operations towards Control of Air. These are Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Air Defense operations. AD operations are inextricably linked to Offensive Counter Air Operations. The success or failure of one will affect the requirements and execution of the other.

IAF Doctrine Recognizes Game-Changing Capabilities Of SAMs

The IAF’s Air Defense philosophy is premised on layered area defense with the potential to engage enemy aircraft even before they enter India’s airspace.

Thus, air superiority fighters equipped with air-to-air missiles form the first layer of ADC. Surface-to-Air Guided Weapons (SAGW) are the second; close-in weapon systems and anti-aircraft artillery guns provide the inner AD cover.

The IAF Doctrine 2022 notes: “Control of the air is a priority as it is vital for the execution of the overall military strategy. This permits its own air and surface forces to operate more effectively in the battlespace and denies the same to the enemy.” To do it, the Indian Armed Forces are working towards an Integrated Air Defense System (IADS).

“The IADS includes all air and surface AD weapon systems deployed with an offensive outlook. This enables effective engagement of enemy aircraft, ballistic/cruise missiles, and aerial weapons before it can affect its forces. AD fighters, LRSAMs, MRSAMs, SRSAMs, and CIWS (Close-In Weapon Systems) systems of all services should be networked to create an integrated AD zone. IADS will normally consist of two complementary components, fighter aircraft, and surface-to-air defenses,” the doctrine notes.

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