{"id":26483382,"date":"2026-10-04T11:43:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T09:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iaf-chief-ap-singh-36-40-fighters-a-year-tejas-delay-last-press-conference-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T11:43:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T09:43:45","slug":"iaf-chief-ap-singh-36-40-fighters-a-year-tejas-delay-last-press-conference-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/iaf-chief-ap-singh-36-40-fighters-a-year-tejas-delay-last-press-conference-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"IAF Chief A.P. Singh: India Needs 36 to 40 New Fighters a Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta 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Singh did not use his farewell press conference to celebrate. With four weeks left before he retires, the head of the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/indian-air-force\/\">Indian Air Force<\/a> sat down in New Delhi on 3 October 2026 and laid out, in unusually plain words, how far his fleet has fallen behind.<\/p>\n<p>India needs to bring in 36 to 40 new fighters every single year, he said, just to stop the decline. It is not getting anywhere near that. The briefing, held ahead of Air Force Day on 8 October, turned into a list of everything the service is waiting for: delayed Tejas jets, a 114-fighter deal still being negotiated, and a home-grown stealth fighter that may arrive too late.<\/p>\n<p>It was also, as Singh himself pointed out, his last one. He is due to retire on 31 October.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Who:<\/strong> Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Occasion:<\/strong> Annual press conference ahead of Air Force Day (8 October), his last before retiring on 31 October 2026<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Date:<\/strong> 3 October 2026, New Delhi<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Fighter squadrons:<\/strong> 29 in service, against 42 sanctioned, as reported from the briefing<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Needed per year:<\/strong> Two squadrons, or 36 to 40 aircraft<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>MRFA (114 fighters):<\/strong> Could be signed within the current financial year, which ends in March 2027<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Fifth generation:<\/strong> Su-57 offered by Russia; no decision taken<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Two squadrons a year, or the numbers keep falling<\/h2>\n<p>The arithmetic is brutal. The Indian Air Force is sanctioned for 42 fighter squadrons and has been well short of that for years. Reports from the briefing put the current figure at 29. Every time an old type retires, the gap widens, and the retirement of the last <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-21-fishbed\/\">MiG-21<\/a> squadrons has already taken a large bite out of the frontline.<\/p>\n<p>Singh put the replacement rate needed in simple terms. \"We need to induct two fighter squadrons every year. That means anything between 36 and 40 aircraft should be produced and inducted,\" he told reporters, according to the Press Trust of India.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/tejas-la-5022-flown-by-ap-singh-tarang-shakti-2024.jpg\" alt=\"HAL Tejas LA-5022 of No. 18 Squadron flown by AP Singh over Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Tejas LA-5022 of No. 18 Squadron over the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur during Exercise Tarang Shakti in 2024, with A.P. Singh, then Vice Chief of the Air Staff, at the controls. Photo: Indian Air Force \/ GODL-India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Tejas problem<\/h2>\n<p>The jet that was supposed to fill the gap fastest is the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/hal-tejas\/\">HAL Tejas Mk1A<\/a>. India has ordered 180 of them in two contracts, 83 and then 97, but deliveries that were originally due to begin in March 2024 are running far behind schedule, held up largely by engine supply.<\/p>\n<p>Singh did not soften it. \"There is some extra delay, and there is no doubt that it is going to hurt us,\" he said. He also called for fewer programmes and tighter delivery schedules, a pointed message to India's defence industry from a man who no longer has a career to protect.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/air-chief-marshal-ap-singh-portrait.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"flex-shrink:0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/air-chief-marshal-ap-singh-portrait.jpg\" alt=\"Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh\" style=\"width:96px;height:96px;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;object-position:center;display:block;border:2px solid #ddd\"><\/a><div><em>&ldquo;I think if things go well, we should be able to sign it in this financial year. That's what my hope is. But it is a two-way process.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh<\/strong> &mdash; Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force, 3 October 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">114 Rafales, and a fifth-generation question<\/h2>\n<p>That hope was about the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft deal, the long-running plan to buy 114 fighters, most of them to be built in India. The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/rafale\/\">Dassault Rafale<\/a> is now the front-runner. If it is signed this financial year, that means by the end of March 2027.<\/p>\n<p>The harder question is what happens at the top end. India's own stealth fighter, the AMCA, is still years from flight, while Pakistan is in talks with China about fifth-generation jets. Singh called that \"a cause for worry\", but added: \"We do have capabilities. It is not that one platform matters so much.\"<\/p>\n<p>He confirmed that Moscow is still pitching its stealth fighter. \"Russia has offered the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/su-57-felon\/\">Su-57<\/a>, but no decision has been taken yet,\" he said, signalling that India may look at an interim foreign fifth-generation jet if the AMCA slips further.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Drones: evolution, not revolution<\/h2>\n<p>Asked whether the air force needs a separate drone force, Singh was dismissive. \"Drones are not revolutionary to the Indian Air Force, but evolutionary,\" he said, arguing that uncrewed aircraft should be integrated with crewed fighters rather than run as a separate arm.<\/p>\n<p>It was a fitting closing note for a briefing that kept coming back to the same theme. The Indian Air Force knows what it needs. What it lacks is the aircraft, delivered on time. His successor inherits that problem on 1 November.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ui6s3woFTPE\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:-12px;font-style:italic\">The Hindu's stream of the 3 October press conference, in which Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh flagged the fighter shortage and the AMCA delay.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: Press Trust of India, The Week, India Today, The Hindu, Deccan Chronicle<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>How many fighter squadrons does the Indian Air Force have?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Reports from Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh's press conference on 3 October 2026 put the Indian Air Force at 29 fighter squadrons, against 42 sanctioned. Singh said the service needs to induct two squadrons, or 36 to 40 aircraft, every year to stop the numbers falling further.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why is the Tejas Mk1A delayed?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Deliveries of the HAL Tejas Mk1A, originally due to begin in March 2024, are running well behind schedule, largely because of engine supply problems. India has ordered 180 Tejas Mk1A in two contracts. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said in October 2026 that the extra delay is going to hurt the Indian Air Force.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When will India sign the 114-fighter MRFA deal?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said on 3 October 2026 that, if things go well, India hopes to sign the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft deal for 114 jets within the current financial year, which ends in March 2027. The Dassault Rafale is the front-runner, with most aircraft to be built in India.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Is India buying the Su-57?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No decision has been made. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said on 3 October 2026 that Russia has offered the Su-57 but no decision has been taken. India could consider an interim foreign fifth-generation fighter if its own AMCA stealth fighter is delayed further.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When does Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh retire?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh is due to retire as Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October 2026. His press conference on 3 October 2026, held ahead of Air Force Day on 8 October, was described as his last as head of the Indian Air Force.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When is Indian Air Force Day?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Indian Air Force Day is celebrated every year on 8 October, the date the force was officially established in 1932. The 2026 celebration marks the 94th anniversary of the Indian Air Force.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can I fly in a MiG-21?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. MiGFlug offers supersonic MiG-21 flights in Florida for a limited time, and they are the only flights that let civilians break the sound barrier. The flights typically reach about Mach 1.3, roughly 1,000 mph. Details and booking are on the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/mig-21-launch\/\">MiG-21 flight page<\/a>.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many fighter squadrons does the Indian Air Force have?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Reports from Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh's press conference on 3 October 2026 put the Indian Air Force at 29 fighter squadrons, against 42 sanctioned. 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His press conference on 3 October 2026, held ahead of Air Force Day on 8 October, was described as his last as head of the Indian Air Force.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"When is Indian Air Force Day?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Indian Air Force Day is celebrated every year on 8 October, the date the force was officially established in 1932. The 2026 celebration marks the 94th anniversary of the Indian Air Force.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can I fly in a MiG-21?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. MiGFlug offers supersonic MiG-21 flights in Florida for a limited time, and they are the only flights that let civilians break the sound barrier. The flights typically reach about Mach 1.3, roughly 1,000 mph. Details and booking are on the MiG-21 flight page.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/india-114-rafale-deal-decision-year-end-indian-weapons-no-fifth-gen-2026\/\">114 Rafale Deal: India Expects a Decision by Year-End<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/amca-first-flight-september-2028-india-stealth-fighter-hal-out-2026\/\">AMCA First Flight Set for 2028: India Names Its Stealth Fighter Deadline<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/golden-arrows-75-years-no-17-squadron-iaf-mig-21-rafale-ambala\/\">Golden Arrows at 75: No. 17 Squadron, From MiG-21 to Rafale<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In his last press conference before retiring, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said the Indian Air Force needs 36 to 40 new fighters a year and that Tejas delays are going to hurt.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":26482825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26483382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>IAF Chief A.P. Singh: India Needs 36-40 Fighters a Year | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In his last press conference, IAF chief A.P. 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