The Air Chief press conference ahead of the 94th Air Force Day put a number on the Indian Air Force's (IAF) induction need on Saturday, with Air Chief Marshal (ACM) AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, saying the force requires 36 to 40 aircraft every year as it works to restore its fighter squadron strength.

In New Delhi, ACM AP Singh said the long-pending multirole fighter aircraft (MRFA) deal could be finalised this financial year, and that delays in the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) could force other choices.

"As far as geopolitics is concerned, we all have seen the changes which are taking place in the world, the conflicts which we see around. Military power becomes the ultimate, and without adequate military power, any state remains vulnerable to coercion," he said.

In the recent conflicts, ACM AP Singh said, it was air power that had come to the fore as the cutting edge of military strength. Defence deals and strategic conversations worldwide, whether on advanced fighter aircraft, long-range precision weapons, integrated air command and control or unmanned aerial systems, showed that military power was "concentrated around the aerospace domain", he added.

Air Chief press conference sets annual induction need at 36 to 40 aircraft

The 36 to 40 figure came in response to a question on the depleting number of fighter squadrons. The IAF fields around 30 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42, according to reports.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Tejas Mk1A lines carry much of the near-term load, with F404 engine supply setting the pace this year.

On the MRFA, the Air Chief said the deal may be finalised this financial year, while noting that it will depend on many other factors. The programme covers 114 fighters, and its value has been reported at around Rs 3.25 lakh crore. The Ministry of Defence sent France a formal Letter of Request for 114 Rafale jets earlier this year. If concluded on those lines, India's Rafale inventory would rise to 176 aircraft, counting the 36 already with the IAF and the 26 Rafale Marine fighters ordered for the Navy, according to reports.

Su-57 offer on the table, no decision taken

"If there are delays in the AMCA fifth-generation fighter programme, we may have to look at other options. Russia has offered the Su-57, but no decision has been taken yet. We would like to increase the number of aircraft in our inventory," ACM AP Singh said.

The AMCA is the country's indigenous fifth-generation fighter effort and forms one part of a longer combat aircraft roadmap.

Decision sought on an India-made fighter engine

Self-reliance was crucial for overall combat readiness, the Air Chief said. "We need to take a decision on at least one India-made fighter jet engine," he said. Indigenous aero-engine work in the country is led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bengaluru. He also said the IAF has to be an AI-augmented force.

Pakistan-China fifth-generation cooperation a cause of concern

Asked about Pakistan's fifth-generation fighter cooperation with China, ACM AP Singh described it as a cause of concern. Speaking in Hindi, he added that Pakistan had not been able to achieve much, and attributed this to a lack of integration.

Integration ran through his answers at the Air Chief press conference, including those on unmanned systems.

No separate drone force for the IAF

"Drones are not revolutionary to the Indian Air Force, but evolutionary. We are growing the number of drones and loitering munitions," the Air Chief said. Asked whether the IAF needed a separate drone force, he said he did not think so, and that drones must be employed together with other weapons to bring in the intended effect.

"We cannot be operating one type of weapon separately somewhere and another type of weapon separately. So we have not thought of having a separate drone force," he said. ACM AP Singh had made a similar case for integrating unmanned systems at an industry workshop in July.

ACM AP Singh on drones and a separate drone force

From four Wapiti aircraft to a network-centric force

The 94th Air Force Day will be celebrated on October 8, with the theme 'Indian Air Force: Infallible, Impervious and Precise', rendered in Hindi as Achook, Abhedya va Sateek. In 94 years, ACM AP Singh said, the Indian Air Force has grown from a modest beginning of four Wapiti aircraft into a network-centric force capable of multi-domain operations across the spectrum.

He also praised Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar for his conduct during a mid-air emergency on Flight FZ1073. "What he has done is exceptionally brave. He showed great physical and mental resolve. It is a lesson for us," he said.

The briefing is expected to be the last annual press conference of ACM AP Singh's tenure as Chief of the Air Staff, a post he took over from ACM VR Chaudhari on September 30, 2024. He credited the entire force for its recent achievements, and said that, as head of the organisation, he was ready to take personal blame for any shortcomings.

"No individual is bigger than the institution," he said.