Five steps to a viable air force

Upgrade and procure more squadrons, support indigenous fighter development, and acquire and indigenously develop force multipliers

Air Force Day, celebrated on October 8 each year, provides occasion to revisit the IAF’s biggest worry — it’s declining squadron numbers — and to examine how this could be reversed within its budget. Military planners estimate the IAF needs 42 fighter squadrons to tackle a two-front threat from Pakistan and China. Against this, the air force has just 33 squadrons, including 10 squadrons of obsolescent MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters overdue for retirement. True, new Tejas and Sukhoi-30MKI fighters are rolling off the lines, but not quickly enough to replace the retiring MiGs, leave alone increasing the number of squadrons. 

Each