It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The opening words of the Charles Dickens classic A Tale of Two Cities sum up the dilemma that the world’s fourth largest air force is facing. The Indian Air Force’s strength—derived from its 1.5 lakh personnel and 1,700 aircraft, including fighters, tankers, helicopters, trainers and transport craft that guards India’s vast air space of 40 million cubic kilometres—also doubles as its weakness.
Into its 91st year of existence, the Air Force now has a fleet of truly staggering range. It has fighter aircraft of Russian (Sukhoi 30, MiG 21, MiG 29), French (Rafale, Mirage 2000), and Anglo-French (Jaguar) origin; an indigenous light combat aircraft (Tejas); a transport fleet of Russian (AN-32, IL-76), American (C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster), British (Avro), Brazilian (Embraer), Spanish (C-295) and German (Dornier) origins; Russian mid-air refuelling tankers (IL-78) and helicopters (Mi-17); American (AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook) and indigenous helicopters (Prachand, Rudra, Dhruv); and unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel and the US, to name a few.
It means the Air Force is in a happy position to pick and choose from a broad range of aircraft with different configurations, mandates, roles, and operative and military capabilities. A superb example of the various air assets at work was the Balakot operation of September 26, 2019. It saw 12 Mirage 2000 fighters—loaded with SPICE 2000 and Popeye precision-guided munitions—cross over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and drop their bombs. Standing guard were a few Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters, along with IL-78 mid-air refuellers, a Heron drone, and aircraft carrying the Netra and Phalcon airborne early warning and control systems.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hat-Trick Or Has-Beens?
India look to win their third straight Test series in Australia, but ageing superstars and recent humiliation at home have cast a shadow on their hopes
Constipation Can Put Your Heart At Risk
PEOPLE WITH CONSTIPATION have an increased risk of major cardiac events, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure, especially if they also have high blood pressure, finds an international study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
Too Much Sitting Can Accelerate Ageing
SITTING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS can harm the heart and accelerate ageing, even if you are young and get the minimum recommended amount of daily exercise, according to a US study published in the journal PLOS One.
Efficiency and innovation
As health care evolves, professionals must employ innovative methods to refine their skills
Level up
Only 30 per cent of needy patients are able to undergo transplant in India; we need more dedicated transplant centres
HOPE STEMS FROM A CELL
While stem cell therapies have shown success in treating blood disorders, orthopaedic ailments, autoimmune diseases and eye issues, there is hope that they can one day treat patients with heart disease, blindness, Parkinson's, HIV, diabetes and spinal cord injuries
Mind matters
Your mindset can limit or expand your physical ability
Cutting edge
Would you go under the knife if a robot was the one holding it? Or would you say, \"No way, I need a human touch\"? You might have to decide soon because a robot that can imitate skilled human surgeons is already here.
The smallest cut
Minimally invasive surgeries have a bright future, with virtual reality and 3D procedures offering greater precision and AI on the horizon
Signalling a revolution
Canadian scientist and entrepreneur Sachdev Sidhu is focused on bringing cutting-edge antibody engineering to his country of origin
