A parliamentary committee on Monday slammed the Defence Ministry over the gap between the sanctioned strength of active fighter aircraft squadrons and their actual number, saying that “even the slight edge over rival neighbouring nation” would be lost if the “complacency” remains.
The Standing Committee on Defence said that while the sanctioned strength was 42, Indian Air Force at present has 35 active squadrons.”With regard to this, representatives of Air Force deposed before the committee that a drawdown has already begun and, by 2022, IAF will have around just 25 squadrons, thereby losing even the slight edge over rival neighbouring nation,” the panel said in a report, adding that IAF would need 45 squadrons to counter “two front collusive threat”.
The reference was likely to Pakistan and China. The committee was informed that the gap in squadron strength was because the rate at which fighter aircraft are retiring exceeds that at which their replacements are being inducted into IAF.
It noted that there are plans for the induction of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft and indigenous light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, along with a Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft project with Russia.
If all the procurements fructify, IAF is likely to achieve the authorised strength of 42 squadrons only by the end of the 15th Plan, or in 2032, the panel said.