The fixed-wing combat and support fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF), together with the fighter and maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Indian Navy, forms the backbone of India's air power. The inventory spans imported frontline fighters, licence-built heavyweights, an indigenous light combat aircraft, strategic and tactical transports, jet and turboprop trainers, and airborne early warning platforms, alongside a growing pipeline of indigenous next-generation programmes.

Key facts

  • Operators: Indian Air Force and Indian Navy
  • Fighter types in service: Su-30MKI, Rafale, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG-29UPG, Tejas Mk1/Mk1A, MiG-29K (Navy)
  • Transport types: C-17 Globemaster III, IL-76, C-130J Super Hercules, An-32, C-295 (inducting)
  • Trainers: Hawk Mk132, Pilatus PC-7 Mk II, HTT-40 (indigenous, inducting)
  • AEW&C platforms: Netra Mk1 (DRDO), EL/W-2090 Phalcon
  • Sanctioned IAF fighter squadron strength: 42, with actual numbers lower amid the phase-out of older types

Fighter Fleet

The Su-30MKI, licence-built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), remains the mainstay of the fighter fleet with well over 200 aircraft, supplemented by 36 Dassault Rafale jets inducted from 2020, upgraded Mirage 2000s and MiG-29s, and the SEPECAT Jaguar deep-penetration strike aircraft. Older MiG-21 variants have been progressively retired as the indigenous HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) enters service in growing numbers.

Transports and Trainers

Strategic airlift is provided by the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Ilyushin IL-76, while tactical lift rests on the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and the ageing Antonov An-32, now being progressively supplemented by the Airbus C-295, assembled in India by Tata Advanced Systems. Pilot training runs through the HAL HTT-40 and Pilatus PC-7 Mk II for basic instruction and the BAE Hawk Mk132 for advanced jet training.

Airborne Early Warning and Naval Aviation

Battlespace awareness is provided by the indigenous DRDO Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and the Israeli-sourced EL/W-2090 Phalcon system, with further Netra variants under acquisition. The Indian Navy operates the MiG-29K from its aircraft carriers, the Boeing P-8I Poseidon for long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare, and has ordered the carrier-based Rafale-M.

Indigenous Programmes

India's push for self-reliance in combat aviation centres on the Tejas Mk1A and the larger, more powerful Tejas Mk2, alongside the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a fifth-generation stealth fighter under development by the Aeronautical Development Agency, and the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) planned for naval service.

Together, these platforms reflect an air arm in transition, balancing the operational demands of a two-front security environment with a long-term shift toward indigenous design, development and manufacture.