IAF is the 4th Largest Air Force in the world with the size of 1,40,000 active personnel and about 1820 active aircraft. The main responsibility of IAF is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare. Here are the top 5 aircraft currently in service with the Indian Air Force.
1. Sukhoi Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a multirole air superiority fighter developed in Russia by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and built under license by India’s HAL. The Indian Air Force has 200 Su-30MKIs in service.
The fighter jet is powered by two Lyulka Al-31FP thrust vectoring turbofans producing 27,560-pound force each with afterburner. The jet is able to achieve a top speed of 2,100 km/h. It is equipped with the very best in terms of weaponry and is the Indian Air Force’s crown jewel.
2. Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft developed by Dassault Aviation. It is recognisable by its unique arrangement of the canard up front and a delta-wing design.
In 2012, the Dassault Rafale was chosen by the Indian Air Force as the preferred aircraft for its omnirole fighter position. It has a top speed of over 1,920km/h and is equipped with Meteor BVRAAM missiles. The first few jets are expected to be delivered to the Indian Air Force by 2019.
3. Mikoyan MiG-29
The MiG-29 is a jet fighter aircraft manufactured by Mikoyan in the Soviet Union. The Indian Air Force was the very first international buyer of the MiG-29. This particular aircraft was extensively used during the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir by the IAF.
Powering the aircraft is twin Klimov RD-33 afterburning turbofans producing 18,300-pound force of thrust each. It has a maximum speed of 2400 km/h.
4. Dassault Mirage 2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole fourth-generation fighter jet made by Dassault Aviation. The Indian Air Force purchased 49 Mirage 2000s in the 1980s. Among them, 42 are single-seaters and 7 are two-seater trainers. In 2004, the Indian government approved the purchase of ten more Mirages.
The aircraft is powered by a single SNECMA M53-P2 afterburning turbofan. It can achieve a top speed of 2,336 km/h. Even though it is old, it still is one of the most versatile fighter jets in the Indian Air Force.
5. HAL Tejas
The HAL Tejas is a single-seat multi-role lightweight fighter jet developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
The powerplant used in this aircraft is General Electric F404-GE-F2J3 turbofan engines with afterburner. The aircraft can fly at a speed of Mach 1.8 (2,205 km/h) and at a maximum altitude of 15,200m.
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