Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना) was founded on 8 October 1932 as a single flight of four Wapiti biplanes at Karachi, fought the Japanese in Burma, and after independence became one of the largest air forces in the world — one that has fought Pakistan in 1947, 1965, 1971, 1999, 2019 and 2025, and that in 2026 is flying fewer fighter squadrons than at any time in decades while it waits for engines, Tejas deliveries and a 114-fighter decision.
The Indian Air Force story: four Wapitis, the Burma war, Pakistan from 1947 to 2025 and the squadron gap
1932–1947: four Wapitis at Drigh Road, and a war in Burma
The Indian Air Force was created by the Indian Air Force Act and dates itself to 8 October 1932, as an auxiliary of the Royal Air Force. Its first flight formed at Drigh Road, Karachi, on 1 April 1933 with four Westland Wapiti IIA biplanes and a handful of Indian pilots trained at Cranwell under a British commander, Flight Lieutenant Cecil Bouchier; one of those pilots, Subroto Mukerjee, became the first Indian to command No. 1 Squadron in March 1939. The squadron flew against tribesmen on the North-West Frontier from September 1937. The Second World War turned a flight into an air force: Wikipedia’s summary of the record says Indian squadrons flew strike, close support and reconnaissance against the Japanese in Arakan and Burma on Hurricanes, Spitfires and Vengeance dive-bombers, and that Indian airmen won 22 Distinguished Flying Crosses. By VJ Day the service had about 25,000 people, and on 12 March 1945 King George VI granted it the prefix "Royal".
1947–1962: partition, Kashmir, Goa and the air force that was not used
Partition in August 1947 split the Royal Indian Air Force: three of its ten operational squadrons and part of its infrastructure went to the new Royal Pakistan Air Force. Within weeks the two were on opposite sides in Kashmir. From 27 October 1947 RIAF and requisitioned civil Dakotas flew Indian troops into Srinagar, Tempests and Spitfires flew close support, and Leh was reached by air on 24 May 1948; according to the Wikipedia account of that war, the two air forces did not meet in air combat and the RIAF lost 32 officers and men before the ceasefire of 1 January 1949. The service dropped "Royal" on 26 January 1950 and spent the 1950s buying jets — Vampires from 1948, Toofanis from 1953, Mystères, Hunters and Canberras from 1957, the Gnat from 1958. It used them against Portugal in Goa in December 1961 and with the UN in Katanga. In 1962, against China, it was not used for offensive operations at all: the government, advised among others by the US ambassador J. K. Galbraith, feared Chinese bombing of Indian cities.
1965 and 1971: two wars with Pakistan, and two very different results
The 1965 war was the first full air war between India and Pakistan, and its results are still argued. Wikipedia’s summary gives India’s claim of 59 IAF aircraft lost against 43 Pakistani, Pakistan’s claim of 104 Indian against 19 of its own, and independent estimates of about 60–75 Indian and 20 Pakistani losses; the IAF flew 3,937 sorties to the PAF’s 2,364. The small Folland Gnat, credited with seven Sabres, earned the name "Sabre Slayer"; the Vampires lost over Chhamb on 1 September and the aircraft destroyed on the ground at Pathankot on 6 September were the other side of the story. Six years later the IAF fought a different war. In December 1971 it flew about 1,978 sorties in the east and some 4,000 in the west, won what the Wikipedia account calls total air superiority over East Pakistan within days, supported the Tangail airdrop and the helicopter lifts across the Meghna, and bombed Government House in Dhaka on 14 December. Pakistani forces in the east surrendered on 16 December and Bangladesh became independent. Loss figures again depend on the source: India claimed 75 Pakistani aircraft and Pakistan 130 Indian; independent tallies quoted by Wikipedia are about 45–65 Indian and 75 Pakistani.
1972–2002: the Soviet decades, Siachen, Sri Lanka and Kargil
After 1971 the IAF became, above all, a Soviet-equipped air force — MiG-21s from 1963 (more than 1,200 inducted over the years, and 657 built by HAL), Su-7s, MiG-23s, MiG-25 reconnaissance jets, MiG-27s and MiG-29s — with Western types alongside: the Jaguar from 1979 and the Mirage 2000 from 1985. The mix was the product of non-alignment and of price, and its weakness was attrition: Wikipedia cites more than 170 IAF pilots killed in MiG-21 accidents since 1970, and the type became known in India as the "flying coffin". The IAF’s wars in this period were small and far apart: the airlift that put Indian troops on the Siachen glacier on 13 April 1984, the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 1990, the flight of Il-76s that ended a coup in the Maldives on 3–4 November 1988. Then, on 26 May 1999, Operation Safed Sagar put air power over Kargil. The IAF lost a MiG-27, a MiG-21 and a Mi-17 in the first three days; Mirage 2000s dropping laser-guided bombs from 30 May changed the campaign, and by 26 July the heights were back in Indian hands. Pakistan at first said the intruders were Kashmiri fighters and later acknowledged the role of its own troops.
2019–2025: Balakot, 27 February and Operation Sindoor
On 26 February 2019, after the suicide bombing at Pulwama, Mirage 2000s struck what India called a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp at Balakot. India’s Foreign Secretary said a very large number of militants had been killed; Pakistan said the bombs fell in empty forest, and satellite analysts cited by Wikipedia found little visible damage. The next day Pakistani jets struck back and in the air battle a MiG-21 Bison was shot down and its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, captured and released on 1 March. India says he shot down a PAF F-16 first; Pakistan denies losing any F-16 and said it downed two Indian jets. The same morning an IAF Mi-17 was shot down over Budgam by an Indian missile, killing six airmen, which the IAF admitted in October. In May 2025, after the Pahalgam attack, came Operation Sindoor: strikes on nine sites on 7 May, then on Pakistani air bases on 10 May. Pakistan said it downed five and later six Indian aircraft, including Rafales; India acknowledged losses without numbers, and its Air Chief later said Indian air defences destroyed five Pakistani fighters and a large surveillance aircraft, which Pakistan denies. Neither side’s figures have been independently confirmed in full.
2026: the squadron gap, the engine queue and the next fighter
The IAF of 2026 is large — about 260 Su-30MKIs, 36 Rafales, Mirage 2000s, MiG-29s and Jaguars, C-17s, C-130Js and C-295s, Apaches and Chinooks — but short of fighter squadrons. It is authorised 42; Wikipedia cites 41 at the 1996 peak, 31 in 2025 and 29 in April 2026, after the last MiG-21s were retired at Chandigarh on 26 September 2025. The fix has been slow. The 83 Tejas Mk1As ordered in 2021 were held up by late General Electric F404 engines: in February 2026 HAL said five aircraft were ready and waiting for engines, and by September 2026 GE was still delivering engines in batches of three. A second order for 97 followed in September 2025. In February 2026 the Defence Acquisition Council approved the long-running Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft buy as the Rafale, and President Macron said India had confirmed its willingness to order 114 and co-produce them. The stealthy AMCA, with five prototypes planned, broke ground at Puttaparthi in May 2026. What was good about the IAF is its record of adapting under fire; what has been bad is the gap between plans and deliveries.
The Indian Air Force in numbers
Dienst
- Inheemse naam
- भारतीय वायु सेनाBharatiya Vayu Sena in Hindi; "Indian Air Force" in English. The IAF’s own website could not be reached for this page, so the Hindi spelling is taken from Wikipedia
- Opgericht
- 8 October 1932As an auxiliary of the RAF under the Indian Air Force Act; first flight formed 1 April 1933 at Drigh Road, Karachi. "Royal" from 12 March 1945 to 26 January 1950. Air Force Day is 8 October
- Onderdeel van
- Indian Armed Forces, Ministry of DefenceThe President of India is Supreme Commander; the Defence Minister is Rajnath Singh
- Hoofdkwartier
- Air Headquarters (Vayu Sena Bhawan), New DelhiFive operational commands (Western, South Western, Central, Eastern, Southern) and two functional commands (Training, Maintenance)
- Chef van de Luchtmachtstaf
- Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet SinghSince 30 September 2024; still in office in late September 2026
- Motto
- Nabhah Sparsham Deeptam ("Touch the sky with glory")From the Bhagavad Gita
Kracht
- Personeel
- About 135,000–150,000Wikipedia gives about 135,000 serving on 1 January 2025 and quotes IISS (2025) at 149,900; the figures are not reconciled
- Fighter squadrons
- 29 against 42 authorisedWikipedia’s figure for April 2026; 31 in 2025 and 41 at the 1996 peak. The fall follows the MiG-21’s retirement on 26 September 2025
- Gevechtsvliegtuigen
-
- Su-30MKI — about 258–260
- Rafale — 36
- SEPECAT Jaguar — about 112
- MiG-29/UPG — about 59
- Mirage 2000 — about 46
- Tejas Mk1 — about 38
Counts from the Wikipedia inventory list and type articles; not an official IAF figure
- Transport and support
-
- C-17 Globemaster III — 11
- C-130J-30 — 12
- Il-76MD — 17 and Il-78MKI tankers — 6
- An-32 — about 100
- C-295 — 16 delivered, 56 ordered
- A-50EI Phalcon — 3 and Netra AEW&C — 3
Wikipedia inventory list
- Helikopters
-
- Mi-17V-5 — about 220
- ALH Dhruv — 95
- AH-64E Apache — 22
- CH-47F Chinook — 15
- LCH Prachand — 10
Wikipedia inventory list
- Defensiebudget
- 7.85 lakh crore rupees (2026–27)For the whole Ministry of Defence, up 15.19 per cent; the IAF’s share was not given in the source
Infrastructuur
- Commands
- SevenWestern (New Delhi), South Western (Gandhinagar), Central (Prayagraj), Eastern (Shillong), Southern (Thiruvananthapuram), Training (Bengaluru), Maintenance (Nagpur)
- Toon teams
- Two, plus a skydiving teamSurya Kiran (nine Hawk Mk 132, formed 1996 at Bidar), Sarang (ALH Dhruv helicopters) and the Akash Ganga skydivers
- Aircraft industry
- HAL: Bengaluru and NashikNashik has a Tejas Mk1A line and a second HTT-40 line; Tata builds 40 C-295s at Vadodara
- Grondgebonden luchtverdediging
- S-400: four of five squadrons deliveredNews On Air, June 2026. India said on 10 May 2025 that Pakistani claims to have destroyed an S-400 were false
How the Indian Air Force is organised
Air Headquarters in New Delhi over five operational commands — Western, South Western, Central, Eastern and Southern — and two functional commands for training and maintenance. The Rafale flies from Ambala and Hasimara, the Mirage 2000 from Gwalior, the Tejas from Sulur and the heavy transports from Hindan; the Su-30MKI, about 260 strong, is spread across stations from Halwara in Punjab to Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. In April 2026 the IAF had 29 fighter squadrons against 42 authorised, according to Wikipedia.
Air Headquarters
In New Delhi, under the Ministry of Defence; the President of India is Supreme Commander. Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, a test pilot who led Tejas flight testing, has been Chief of the Air Staff since 30 September 2024 and was still in office in late September 2026.
Western Air Command
Headquartered in New Delhi. Among the stations on this page it takes in Hindan, on the edge of Delhi, with the C-17 Globemasters of No. 81 Squadron and the C-130J Super Hercules of No. 77, and Adampur in Punjab, with the MiG-29UPGs of No. 47 Squadron.
South Western Air Command
Headquartered at Gandhinagar, one of the IAF’s five operational commands. None of the stations on this page names it as its parent command in the sources used.
Central Air Command
Headquartered at Prayagraj. Its station on this page is Agra, home of the A-50EI Phalcon early-warning aircraft of No. 50 Squadron, the Il-78MKI tankers of No. 78 and the An-32s of No. 12.
Eastern Air Command
Headquartered at Shillong. Its stations on this page are Kalaikunda in West Bengal, a Su-30MKI base, and Hasimara, where No. 101 Squadron became India’s second Rafale squadron in July 2021.
Southern Air Command
Headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram. Its stations on this page are Sulur, home of the Tejas with No. 45 Squadron since 2016, of An-32s, Mi-17s and the Sarang helicopter display team, and Thanjavur, where No. 222 Squadron flies the Su-30MKI in the maritime strike role.
Training Command and Maintenance Command
The IAF’s two functional commands, for training and for maintenance, alongside the five operational ones.
What the Indian Air Force flies today
Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.
| Type | Rol | In dienst | Sinds | Eenheden | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi/HAL Su-30MKIIn dienst | Air superiority and strike fighter | 258 | 2002 | — | 258–260: the Wikipedia inventory list gives 258, the type article 260 in service, from 272 ordered; 12 more ordered in December 2024. 14 had been lost in crashes by March 2026. | |
| Dassault Rafale EH/DHIn dienst | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | 36 | — | 28 single-seat EH and 8 two-seat DH per the Wikipedia list. Pakistan claims several were shot down in May 2025; India has not given a number (see combat).
MeerArrival year not confirmed in the sources checked. |
||
| Dassault Mirage 2000H/TH (Vajra), upgraded to 2000I/TIIn dienst | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | 46 | 1985 | — | About 46: the Wikipedia list gives 36 single-seat and 10 two-seat. 49 were delivered in 1985–88 and 10 more after 2004; 51 were in the 2011 upgrade contract.
MeerThe number lost in May 2025 is disputed. |
|
| Mikoyan MiG-29B/UB and MiG-29UPGIn dienst | luchtsuperioriteitsjager | 59 | 1987 | — | About 59 per the Wikipedia list (40 MiG-29B, 12 UPG, 7 UB). 74 were ordered in 1984–94; the 2008 upgrade covered 69. | |
| SEPECAT/HAL Jaguar IS/IB/IM (Shamsher)In dienst | Strike aircraft | 112 | 1979 | — | About 112 per the Wikipedia list (78 IS, 26 IB, 8 IM). HAL built 89 IS, 27 IB and 12 IM; three crashed in 2025. | |
| HAL Tejas Mk1In dienst | Light combat aircraft | 38 | 2016 | — | 38 of 40 Mk1 delivered by January 2025; two FOC twin-seaters handed over on 18 September 2026. One lost near Jaisalmer in March 2024 and one at the Dubai Airshow on 21 November 2025. | |
| BAE/HAL Hawk Mk 132In dienst | Advanced jet trainer; Surya Kiran team | 102 | — | 102 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| HAL HJT-16 KiranIn dienst | Intermediate jet trainer | 77 | — | 77 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| Pilatus PC-7 Mk IIIn dienst | Basistrainer | 74 | — | 74 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| HAL HTT-40In dienst | Basistrainer | 1 | 2026 | — | The first was handed over on 18 September 2026 and named Ankur; 70 on contract (the Wikipedia list gives 3 in service and 67 on order). | |
| Beriev/IAI A-50EI PhalconIn dienst | Luchtgebaseerde vroegtijdige waarschuwing en controle | 3 | — | 3 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| Embraer/DRDO EMB-145I NetraIn dienst | Luchtgebaseerde vroegtijdige waarschuwing en controle | 3 | — | 3 per the Wikipedia list; 6 more planned. | ||
| Ilyushin Il-78MKIIn dienst | Air-to-air refuelling tanker | 6 | — | 6 per the Wikipedia list; a leased A330 MRTT and a leased KC-135 supplement them. | ||
| Boeing C-17A Globemaster IIIIn dienst | Strategisch transport | 11 | — | 11 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super HerculesIn dienst | Special operations transport | 12 | — | 12 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| Ilyushin Il-76MDIn dienst | Heavy transport | 17 | — | 17 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| Antonov An-32/An-32REIn dienst | Middelgroot transport | 102 | — | 102 per the Wikipedia list (55 RE upgraded, 47 not). | ||
| Airbus/Tata C-295WIn dienst | Tactisch transport | 16 | 2023 | — | All 16 Seville-built aircraft delivered by August 2025; 40 more to be built at Vadodara. | |
| HAL Dornier 228In dienst | Licht transport | 62 | — | 62 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| HAL/Hawker Siddeley HS 748 (Avro)In dienst | Transport and trainer | 56 | — | 56 per the Wikipedia list; being replaced by the C-295. | ||
| Mil Mi-17V-5In dienst | Middelzware transporthelikopter | 222 | — | 222 per the Wikipedia list. | ||
| HAL Dhruv (ALH)In dienst | Utility helicopter; Sarang team | 95 | 2002 | — | 95 per the Dhruv article and the Wikipedia list. | |
| Boeing AH-64E Apache GuardianIn dienst | Aanvalshelikopter | 22 | 2019 | — | 22 contracted 2015, all delivered by July 2020. | |
| Boeing CH-47F(I) ChinookIn dienst | Heavy-lift helicopter | 15 | 2019 | — | 15 approved September 2015. | |
| HAL LCH PrachandIn dienst | Light combat helicopter | 10 | — | 10 per the Wikipedia list; 66 more on order. | ||
| Mil Mi-25/Mi-35In dienst | Aanvalshelikopter | 15 | — | 15 per the Wikipedia list; not confirmed by an official source. | ||
| HAL Chetak / Cheetah / CheetalIn dienst | Lichte utiliteitshelikopter | 115 | — | About 115 per the Wikipedia list (79 Chetak, 18 Cheetal, 18 Cheetah). | ||
| IAI Heron Mk IIIn dienst | Surveillance UAV | 9 | — | 9 per the Wikipedia list; Searchers also in service. The MQ-9B bought in 2024 is a tri-service buy. |
Op bestelling
| Type | Besteld | Eerste levering | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAL Tejas Mk1AOp bestelling | 180 | 83 ordered in February 2021 (73 fighters, 10 trainers) and 97 on 25 September 2025 (68 fighters, 29 twin-seaters, over 62,000 crore rupees, deliveries 2027–28 onwards).
MeerThe first production Mk1A flew on 28 March 2024, but deliveries waited on GE F404 engines: in February 2026 HAL said five were ready and nine more built. No handover of a Mk1A to an IAF squadron was confirmed in the sources checked up to 30 September 2026. |
||
| Dassault Rafale (Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft)Op bestelling | 114 | Acceptance of necessity by the Defence Acquisition Council on 12 February 2026, most to be built in India; President Macron said on 19 February 2026 that India had confirmed its willingness to order 114.
MeerNo contract signature was confirmed in the sources checked. |
||
| Sukhoi/HAL Su-30MKIOp bestelling | 12 | Ordered December 2024 to replace losses, with 62.6 per cent Indian content. | ||
| Airbus/Tata C-295WOp bestelling | 40 | To be built by Tata at Vadodara after the 16 Seville-built aircraft. | ||
| HAL HTT-40Op bestelling | 69 | 2026 | 70 on contract; the first was handed over on 18 September 2026. | |
| HAL LCH PrachandOp bestelling | 66 | Figure from the Wikipedia inventory list; IAF share of the 2025 order not confirmed. | ||
| ADA/HAL Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)Op bestelling | — | Fifth-generation stealth fighter in development, not yet ordered for service.
MeerThe Cabinet Committee on Security approved development in 2024 at about 15,000 crore rupees; five prototypes and an execution model with private industry were approved in May 2025; the flight-test hub at Puttaparthi was founded on 15 May 2026. No first-flight date was given. |
||
| General Atomics MQ-9B Sky GuardianOp bestelling | — | 31 MQ-9B contracted for all three services on 15 October 2024; the Wikipedia list gives 8 for the IAF, not confirmed officially. |
Every type the Indian Air Force has retired
19 types, from the Westland Wapiti IIA to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (FL, M/MF, bis, Bison). De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.
| Type | Rol | Piek | Geserveerd | Vervangen door | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (FL, M/MF, bis, Bison) | Vechter | — | 1963–2025 | Tejas | More than 1,200 inducted since 1963 (657 built by HAL); about 400 in 19 squadrons at the peak. | |
| HAL MiG-27ML/UPG Bahadur | Grondaanvalsvliegtuigen | 165 | 1985–2019 | — | 165 built by HAL. | |
| English Electric Canberra B(I).58, PR.57, T.4 | Bommenwerper en verkenningsvliegtuig | 80 | 1957–2007 | — | 68 ordered in January 1957 plus 12 more; later purchases not counted. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25RBK/RU | Strategische verkenning | 8 | 1981–2006 | — | Six RBK and two RU delivered 1981. | |
| Hawker Hunter F.56/T.66 | Gevechtsvliegtuig en grondaanval | — | 1957–1996 | — | About 160 or more: 140 single-seaters ordered plus T.66 trainers. | |
| Folland/HAL Gnat and HAL Ajeet | Light fighter | — | 1958–1991 | — | Numbers not confirmed in the sources checked; licence-built by HAL. | |
| HAL HF-24 Marut | Jachtbommenwerper | 147 | 1967–1990 | — | 147 built. | |
| Sukhoi Su-7BMK | Jachtbommenwerper | 140 | 1968–1986 | — | 140 acquired from 1968. | |
| Dassault Mystère IVA | Jachtbommenwerper | 110 | 1957–1974 | — | 110 bought in 1957. | |
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator (HAL-restored) | Bomber and maritime reconnaissance | 42 | 1949–1968 | Canberra | 42 restored by HAL from abandoned RAF aircraft; 39 went to Nos. 5 and 6 Squadrons. | |
| Dassault Ouragan (Toofani) | Jachtbommenwerper | 104 | 1953–1965 | — | 71 ordered 25 June 1953, 33 more in 1957. | |
| Hawker Tempest II | Jachtbommenwerper | 89 | 1947–1953 | — | 89 transferred by the RAF in 1947. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23BN/MF | Jachtbommenwerper en onderscheppingsvliegtuig | — | — | — | Numbers not confirmed in the sources checked. | |
| de Havilland/HAL Vampire FB.52, NF.54, T.55 | Jachtbommenwerper en trainer | — | 1948– | — | Numbers in IAF service not confirmed; HAL built FB.52s and T.55s. | |
| Supermarine Spitfire | Vechter | — | — | — | Numbers not confirmed in the sources checked. | |
| Hawker-orkaan | Jachtbommenwerper | — | — | — | Numbers not confirmed in the sources checked. | |
| Vultee Vengeance | Dive-bomber | — | — | — | Numbers not confirmed in the sources checked. | |
| Westland Lysander | Army co-operation | — | — | — | Numbers not confirmed in the sources checked. | |
| Westland Wapiti IIA | Army co-operation biplane | 4 | 1933– | — | Four in the first flight of 1 April 1933; later numbers not confirmed. |
Where the Indian Air Force flies from
Zwarte pinnen geven actieve bases aan, holle pinnen de vliegvelden die gesloten zijn. Ambala, with an airstrip by 1919, is one of the oldest military airfields in South Asia and since 2019 India’s first Rafale base; Leh, at 3,256 m, is one of the highest airfields in regular use in the world. Srinagar and Leh lie in the part of Kashmir administered by India; Kashmir is disputed and administered in parts by India, Pakistan and China. Most coordinates are taken from Wikipedia because the Indian AIP could not be retrieved, and are provisional. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
India
One of the 18 bases above sits outside India, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas base.
| Baseren | ICAO | Status | Startbaan | Eenheden en vliegtuigen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adampur Air Force StationPunjab (Jalandhar district) | VIAX | Actief | — |
|
| Agra Air Force StationUttar Pradesh (Agra district) | VIAG | Actief | 05/232.743 mconcreet12/301,818 mconcreet |
|
| Ambala Air Force StationHaryana (Ambala district) | Actief | 12/302,811 m |
|
|
| Chandigarh Air Force StationChandigarh (Union Territory) and Punjab (Mohali) | VICG | Actief | 11/293.170 m |
|
| Gwalior Air Force StationMaharajpurMadhya Pradesh (Gwalior district) | VIGR | Actief | 06L/24R2.743 m06R/24L2.743 m |
|
| Halwara Air Force StationPunjab (Ludhiana district) | VIHX | Actief | 13/313,240 m |
|
| Hasimara Air Force StationWest Bengal (Alipurduar district) | VEHX | Actief | 11/292.743 m |
|
| Hindan Air Force StationUttar Pradesh (Ghaziabad district) | VIDX | Actief | 09/272700 m |
|
| Jodhpur Air Force StationRajasthan (Jodhpur district) | VIJO | Actief | 05/232.744 m |
|
| Kalaikunda Air Force StationWest Bengal (Paschim Medinipur district) | VEDX | Actief | 17/352.743 m |
|
| Leh Air Force StationLadakh (Union Territory), in the disputed Kashmir region | VILH | Actief | 07/252,752 m | — |
| Lohegaon Air Force StationPuneMaharashtra (Pune district) | VAPO | Actief | 10/282,539 m | — |
| Pathankot Air Force StationPunjab (Pathankot district) | VIPK | Actief | — |
|
| Srinagar Air Force StationJammu and Kashmir (Budgam district), in the disputed Kashmir region | VISR | Actief | 13/313,685 m |
|
| Sulur Air Force StationTamil Nadu (Coimbatore district) | VOSX | Actief | 05/232,516 m |
|
| Tezpur Air Force StationAssam (Sonitpur district) | VETZ | Actief | 05/232,746 m |
|
| Thanjavur Air Force StationTamil Nadu (Thanjavur district) | VOTJ | Actief | 07/253.500 mconcreet |
|
| RAF/RIAF Station Drigh Roadnow PAF Base Faisal, PakistanKarachi, Sindh (Pakistan since 1947) | OPSF | Closed 1947 | — |
|
Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Who is stationed where in the Indian Air Force
Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. IAF squadrons are numbered and most carry a nickname — No. 17 ‘Golden Arrows’, resurrected at Ambala in 2019 for the Rafale, No. 81 ‘Sky Lords’ with the C-17 at Hindan — while helicopters fly in Helicopter Units such as No. 109 at Sulur and No. 143 at Jodhpur. Where a squadron’s base rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- No. 17 SquadronGolden Arrows · Fighter squadron · active
- Dassault Rafale EH/DH (since 2019–2020), MiG-21M (from 1975), Hawker Hunter (from 1957), de Havilland Vampire (from 1955)
- No. 5 SquadronTuskers · Strike squadron · active
- SEPECAT/HAL Jaguar IS/IB
- No. 81 SquadronSky Lords · Strategic airlift squadron · active
- Boeing C-17A Globemaster III
- No. 77 SquadronVeiled Vipers · Special air operations squadron · active
- Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules
- No. 7 Squadron (Hindan period)1965–1971
- Straatverkoper Jager
- No. 3 Squadron (Hindan period)—
- Dassault Mystère IVA
- Squadron nr. 7Battle Axes · Multirole fighter squadron · active
- Dassault Mirage 2000H/TH (upgraded 2000I/TI)
- No. 1 SquadronMultirole fighter squadron · active
- Dassault Mirage 2000H/TH
- Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE)Tactiek- en wapenschool · actief
- Sukhoi/HAL Su-30MKI, Dassault Mirage 2000H
- No. 220 SquadronDesert Tigers · Multirole fighter squadron · active
- Sukhoi/HAL Su-30MKI
- No. 221 SquadronValiants · Multirole fighter squadron · active
- Sukhoi/HAL Su-30MKI
- No. 7 Squadron (1965 war)1965–1965
- Straatverkoper Jager
- 47e SquadronAir superiority squadron · active
- Mikoyan MiG-29UPG
- Tactics and Combat Development and Training Squadron1971–
- —
- AH-64E Apache helicopter unitAttack helicopter unit · active
- Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian
- No. 3 Squadron1975–
- Dassault Mystère IVA (on arrival)
- No. 18 Squadron (1971 detachment)1971–1971
- Folland/HAL Gnat
- First MiG-21 squadron1963–
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
- No. 50 SquadronAirborne early warning and control squadron · active
- Beriev/IAI A-50EI Phalcon
- Squadron nr. 78Air-to-air refuelling squadron · active
- Ilyushin Il-78MKI
- Squadron nr. 12Transporteskader · actief
- Antonov An-32
- No. 16 Squadron (1965)1965–1965
- English Electric Canberra
- No. 143 Helicopter UnitAttack helicopter unit · active
- HAL LCH Prachand
- Squadron nr. 29—
- HAL MiG-27ML/UPG Bahadur
- No. 18 Squadron (MiG-27 period)—
- HAL MiG-27ML
- Squadron nr. 101Multirole fighter squadron · active
- Dassault Rafale EH/DH
- No. 17 Squadron (1971 deployment)1971–1971
- Straatverkoper Jager
- No. 2 SquadronWinged Arrows · Multirole fighter squadron · active
- Sukhoi/HAL Su-30MKI
- 45e SquadronLight combat aircraft squadron · active
- HAL Tejas Mk1
- 33e SquadronTransporteskader · actief
- Antonov An-32
- No. 109 Helicopter UnitHelicopter unit · active
- Mil Mi-17
- Sarang Helicopter Display Team (No. 151 HU)Sarang · Display team · active
- HAL Dhruv
- No. 222 SquadronMaritime strike squadron · active
- Sukhoi/HAL Su-30MKI
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Indian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
8 October: the Indian Air Force is founded as an auxiliary of the RAF under the Indian Air Force Act.
1 April: A Flight, No. 1 Squadron forms at Drigh Road, Karachi, with four Wapiti IIAs.
12 March: King George VI grants the prefix "Royal"; about 25,000 personnel by VJ Day.
August: partition; three of ten squadrons go to Pakistan. 27 October: airlift of troops to Srinagar begins.
26 January: India becomes a republic and the service becomes the Indian Air Force again.
18–19 December: Canberras, Hunters, Vampires, Mystères and Toofanis strike targets in Goa.
20 October – 21 November: war with China; the IAF is not used offensively.
The first MiG-21 squadron forms at Chandigarh.
1–22 September: air war with Pakistan; Gnats become "Sabre Slayers".
3–17 December: war with Pakistan; air superiority in the east; surrender at Dhaka on 16 December.
13 April: IAF airlift supports Operation Meghdoot on the Siachen glacier.
Fighter strength peaks at 41 squadrons; the Surya Kiran team is formed at Bidar.
26 May – 26 July: Operation Safed Sagar over Kargil.
27 September: first Su-30MKI accepted. 30 March: first two Dhruvs.
26 February: Balakot strike. 27 February: air battle; MiG-21 lost, pilot captured and released on 1 March. 3 September: Apaches inducted. 27 December: MiG-27 retired.
27 May: No. 18 Squadron becomes the second Tejas squadron.
7–10 May: Operation Sindoor. 25 September: 97 more Tejas Mk1A ordered. 26 September: MiG-21 retired at Chandigarh. 21 November: Tejas lost at the Dubai Airshow.
12 February: MRFA Rafale approved by the DAC. 15 May: AMCA facility foundation at Puttaparthi. 18 September: first HTT-40 handed over.
Every war the Indian Air Force has fought
Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.
- North-West Frontier operations 1937–1939 Army co-operation flying in support of British-Indian ground forces
- Second World War: the Burma campaign 1942–1945 Strike, close air support, reconnaissance and bomber escort against Japanese forces, under RAF command
- First India–Pakistan war (Kashmir) 1947–1949 Airlift of troops into Srinagar and Leh, close air support, supply drops
- Operation Polo 1948 Close air support for the Indian Army from Pune
- UN operations in the Congo (ONUC) 1961–1962 Ground attack for the UN force against the secessionist State of Katanga
Indian Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Indian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Deze lijst wordt automatisch vernieuwd — nieuwe Afterburner-verhalen verschijnen hier automatisch.
Everything people ask about the Indian Air Force
What is the Indian Air Force called in Hindi?
When was the Indian Air Force founded?
What fighter jets does the Indian Air Force fly in 2026?
How many fighter squadrons does the Indian Air Force have?
When did India retire the MiG-21?
Did a MiG-21 shoot down a Pakistani F-16 in 2019?
How many aircraft did India lose in Operation Sindoor in May 2025?
Is India buying more Rafales?
Why was the Indian Air Force not used in the 1962 war with China?
What are Surya Kiran and Sarang?
Read the aircraft the Indian Air Force flew
Elk type met een pagina in het Boek der Dieren, eerst op basis van de periode dat het in dienst was, daarna op basis van het jaar waarin het de vloot verliet.
Alle feiten gecontroleerd
- PIB: Air Chief Marshal AP Singh takes over as the Chief of the Air Staff (30 September 2024)Commissioned 21 December 1984; over 5,000 flying hours; test pilot; commanded a MiG-27 squadron; Tejas flight-test project director.
- News On Air: Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh appointed as next Chief of Air Staff (21 September 2024)Appointment announcement; takes over from ACM V. R. Chaudhari on 30 September.
- News On Air: CAS Air Chief Marshal reviews operational preparedness in Northern Command theatre (24 September 2026)Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh still in office on 23 September 2026 (visit to Northern Command, Udhampur).
- News On Air: India, Japan Air Chiefs take Tejas sorties during joint air exercise in Jodhpur (20 September 2026)Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 at Jodhpur; JASDF F-2As operating from Indian soil for the first time in a bilateral exercise; Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale taking part.
- News On Air: Indian Air Force holds full dress rehearsal ahead of 93rd anniversary (6 October 2025)93rd anniversary on 8 October 2025; rehearsal at Hindon.
- News On Air: Air Chief Marshal Amarpreet Singh lauds Operation Sindoor for precision strikes (3 October 2025)Air Chief’s Air Force Day press remarks: four to five Pakistani fighters destroyed; air defence central to the operation.
- News On Air: Indian Air Force bids farewell to legendary MiG-21 after six decades of service (26 September 2025)Farewell at Chandigarh on 26 September 2025; first MiG-21 squadron formed at Chandigarh in 1963 under Wg Cdr Dilbagh Singh.
- News On Air: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attends decommissioning of MiG-21 aircraft (26 September 2025)ACM A. P. Singh flew the last sortie, call sign Badal 3; MiG-21 India’s first supersonic fighter, inducted 1963.
- News On Air: Defence Ministry signs deal with HAL for procurement of 97 Tejas jets (25 September 2025)97 LCA Mk1A (68 fighters, 29 twin-seaters) for over 62,000 crore rupees; deliveries from 2027–28 over six years.
- News On Air: Defence Minister unveils first Tejas LCA Mk1A from HAL’s new Nashik production line (17 October 2025)Maiden flight of the first Nashik-built Mk1A; second HTT-40 line opened.
- News On Air: HAL clarifies delay in LCA Tejas Mark 1A delivery, cites awaited GE engines (5 February 2026)Five Mk1A fully ready and nine more built and flown; five F404 engines received; deliveries await engines.
- News On Air: GE Aerospace delivers fresh batch of 3 F404-IN20 engines to HAL (4 September 2026)99 engines under the 2021 contract; years of supply bottlenecks left airframes waiting for engines.
- News On Air: HAL hands over Tejas twin-seater, HTT-40 trainer aircraft to Indian Air Force (18 September 2026)Two Tejas FOC twin-seat trainers and the first HTT-40 handed over; 70 HTT-40 on contract; 29 Mk1A twin-seaters due by 2033–34.
- News On Air: IAF Tejas jet crashes at Dubai Air Show; pilot Wing Commander Syal killed (21 November 2025)Wg Cdr Namansh Syal killed; court of inquiry; second Tejas loss after Jaisalmer, March 2024.
- News On Air: IAF’s Tejas aircraft crashes near Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, pilot ejected safely (12 March 2024)First Tejas crash, during an operational training sortie; pilot ejected.
- News On Air: France and India want to expand cooperation on Rafale aircraft: Macron (19 February 2026)Macron: India confirmed its willingness to order 114 more Rafales and co-produce them.
- News On Air: DAC clears proposals of nearly 3.60 lakh crore (12 February 2026)Acceptance of necessity for MRFA Rafale, the majority to be made in India; stand-off missiles; AS-HAPS.
- News On Air: President Droupadi Murmu undertakes Rafale fighter jet sortie from Ambala (29 October 2025)About 25 minutes from Ambala; she flew a Su-30MKI from Tezpur in April 2023.
- News On Air: Russian President offers Sukhoi Su-57 stealth aircraft and joint production in India (6 June 2026)Putin’s offer at St Petersburg; four of five S-400 squadrons delivered; no Indian decision reported.
- News On Air: India to develop 5 AMCA stealth fighter prototypes (30 May 2025)Execution model with private industry; five prototypes; CCS approval in 2024 at about 15,000 crore rupees.
- News On Air: Foundation laid for AMCA programme facility in Andhra Pradesh (15 May 2026)Integration, development and flight-test hub at Puttaparthi; ADA/DRDO.
- News On Air: India-US deal for procurement of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones (15 October 2024)Tri-service contract for 31 MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian; service split not given.
- News On Air: India receives final batch of Airbus C-295 aircraft ahead of schedule in Spain (2 August 2025)All 16 Seville-built C-295s delivered; 56 ordered, 40 to be built by Tata at Vadodara; replaces the Avro 748.
- News On Air: First C-295 MW transport aircraft formally inducted into Indian Air Force (25 September 2023)Induction at Hindon during Bharat Drone Shakti 2023.
- News On Air: Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30MKI jet crashes in Assam (6 March 2026)5 March 2026, Karbi Anglong; both pilots of No. 47 Squadron (Jorhat) killed.
- News On Air: Significant increase of over 15% budget allocation for Defence Ministry in Budget 2026-27 (1 February 2026)7.85 lakh crore rupees for the Ministry of Defence, up 15.19 per cent.
- News On Air: IAF Sarang team reaches Egypt to participate in El Alamein Airshow (6 September 2026)Sarang Helicopter Display Team flies the ALH Dhruv.
- News On Air: Suryakiran Aerobatic Team takes to Meerut skies for the first time (20 September 2026)Nine Hawk Mk 132; over 800 airshows in 30 years.
- PIB: Operation Sindoor: Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strike at terrorist camps (7 May 2025)Nine sites struck; Indian statement that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted; response to the Pahalgam attack (26 killed).
- News On Air: India conducts precision strikes on Pakistan military targets (MEA special briefing, 10 May 2025)Indian briefing: strikes on Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahimyar Khan, Pasrur and Sialkot; denial of Pakistani claims of S-400 and Sirsa/Suratgarh damage.
- News On Air: US panel accuses China of disinformation after Operation Sindoor (19 November 2025)USCC report; restates the Air Chief’s claim of five Pakistani fighters and one large surveillance aircraft destroyed.
- Dawn: Pakistan vows revenge after Indian misadventure (8 May 2025)Pakistani official claim of five Indian jets downed on 7 May 2025; National Security Committee statement.
- PIB (Ministry of Defence): Resurrection Ceremony for 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ (10 September 2019)Ceremony at AF Station Ambala under ACM B. S. Dhanoa; squadron formed at Ambala 1 October 1951 under Flt Lt D. L. Springett; types; Goa, 1965, 1971, Kargil; first Rafale squadron.
- IAF History (iafhistory.in): In Memoriam Air Cmde Narinder Chatrath (18 June 2022)No. 17 Squadron Hunters from Hashimara in 1971; Kurmitola; Vir Chakra.
- Airports Authority of India: eAIP India (AIRAC AMDT 08/2026)The Indian AIP; its index loads only as a frame shell and AD 2 pages timed out, so no AIP data could be used.
Figures verified 2026-09-30. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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