Military & Aerospace

Multiple Origin Fleet: Complexities for the IAF
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Issue Vol. 31.4 Oct-Dec 2016 | Date : 06 Mar , 2017

India has learned the hard way that a unilateral desire for peace cannot bring about peace. A country can enjoy peace only if it can defend peace. The US offer of the most high-end weapon systems and to transfer F-16/F-18 entire assembly line to India with full transfer of technology is alluring. Whether that will upset the already floundering, cost-prohibitive FGFA programme with the Russians will be a test of time. Sorting out logistics chains and improving serviceability of the varied fleet of aircraft in its inventory should get priority.

India has learned the hard way that a unilateral desire for peace cannot bring about peace…

The Indian Air Force (IAF) was formed through an Act of 1932 and the first Squadron came up on April 01, 1933. Then known as the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF), it imbibed rich British aviation practices and also gained operational experience in the Burma Campaign of World War II. At the time of independence, the IAF inherited a few of the aviation assets including Hawker Tempest and Spitfires. The French were the first to offer their fighter aircraft in the early 1950s. The Americans also reluctantly offered a few helicopters. By the late 1950s, India had received Soviet-built medium-lift transport aircraft, the An-12 and a top-of-the-line MiG-21 fighter. With this was to begin a relationship which would one day make up for nearly 75 per cent of the inventory of the IAF of Soviet/Russian origin.

From the 1990s onwards, equipment also came from some other European countries, Israel and later, the USA. Meanwhile Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) which was an established aircraft industry, began manufacturing. Its initial approach was mostly to licence-build foreign aircraft, the French Allouette, British Gnat and the Russian MiG series among others. Sourcing from different countries had its own complexities of mixed inventories of spares and overhaul management. This sometimes resulted in lower aircraft serviceability and higher maintenance cost. Also, in many cases, the Life Cycle costs increased substantially.

British Aircraft

The 1950s saw the addition of British De Havilland Vampire, English Electric Canberra twin-engine jet-powered medium bomber, its photo-recce variant and the B-24 Liberators. Initial British transport aircraft were Oxford, Auster, Devon and Vickers Viscount. The light-weight swept-wing fighter Folland Gnat was with the IAF from 1958 to 1978. They played a stellar role in the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan and were christened the ‘Sabre-slayers’. The famous Keelor brothers and the IAF’s first and only Param Vir Chakra Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, earned their name and valour on the Gnat aircraft.

The erstwhile Soviet Union, now Russia has been India’s time-tested friend since the 1950s…

The Hawker Hunter ground attack aircraft joined the IAF in 1957. The SEPECAT Jaguar, the Anglo-French deep penetration strike aircraft were ordered in 1978 and 120 were built by HAL under licence. The IAF has since sponsored major avionics updates through HAL, including the Display Attack Ranging Inertial Navigation (DARIN) system, autopilot, cockpit avionics, weapons and radar. The IAF currently has 125 aircraft in five Squadrons. There is a plan to re-engine the aircraft with the more powerful Honeywell F125IN engine. Jaguars could fly till 2030. 89 Hawker Siddley HS-748 medium turboprop aircraft were licence-produced in India by HAL. A few of these aircraft are still used for communication duties. HAL’s HT-2 basic piston engine trainer and HAL-built Kiran (HJT-16) intermediate jet trainer were influenced by the British Chipmunk and Jet Provost designs respectively. Kirans have the Rolls-Royce Viper engine and later versions Bristol Siddeley Orpheus engine. BAE Systems Hawk Mk 132, a British single-engine Advanced Jet Trainer is used for training and low cost combat. Being built by HAL under licence, the numbers will soon be around 120.

The French Connection

Prime Minister Modi’s Government has decided to restrict initial MMRCA plan of 126 aircraft to only 36 Rafale jets. The Rafale had won the MMRCA competition due its specification compliance and lower life-cycle cost. The long drawn negotiations with Dassault for 36 aircraft are reportedly in their final stages. The French had supported India during the Cold War and have also tacitly supported India as a nuclear power. Aviation has been a real solid pillar in the Indo-French relationship since the early fifties. India had acquired 104 Dassault Ouragans initially and they were replaced by Mystere IVAs in 1957. On September 07, 1965, an Indian Mystere shot down a Pakistani Lockheed F-104 Starfighter in a raid over Sargodha. 12 Breguet Alize carrier-based anti-submarine warfare aircraft were acquired by the Indian Navy and operated from aircraft carrier Vikrant.

Over 300 Aerospatiale Allouette III Light Utility Helicopter were manufactured under licence by HAL. Christened ‘Chetak’, the later lighter versions ‘Cheetah’ and ‘Cheetal’ were for high altitude operations in areas such as the Siachen glacier. The IAF purchased Dassault Mirage-2000 fighters in 1984 and the same have been upgraded to Mirage-2000-5 Mk II standard recently. Mirages will fly in the IAF beyond 2030. HAL carries out overhaul of Mirage aircraft and its engines. Most components and spares still come from abroad.

The Soviet Union helped India set up three new factories for HAL at Nasik (aircraft), Koraput (engines) and Hyderabad (avionics)…

Meanwhile, the IAF continues to wait for the finalisation of the Rafale contract to partially make good its depleting fighter assets. There is a possibility that a large Indian corporate organisation may get the contract to build the remaining 90 aircraft as part of Make-in-India programme. The Rafale will bring in new technologies requiring HAL and private industry to imbibe the same. Indian civil aviation has a large Airbus aircraft fleet.

Indo-Russian Aviation Bear Hug

The Soviet Union (now Russia) has been India’s time tested friend since the 1950s. Six medium-lift cargo aircraft Ilyushin IL-14 joined IAF in 1955. Mi-4 helicopters, bought in the early 1960s, played an important role in the 1971 Bangladesh war undertaking India’s first heli-borne operation near Sylhet. Two squadrons of the ten-tonne class medium-lift An-12s operated till their retirement from service in the 1990s. Beginning 1962, India began receiving MiG-21s with Transfer of Technology to produce in India. Over 1,000 were built/inducted. India also got its initial missiles from the Soviets. Starting with first-generation K-13 air-to-air missiles, they were followed by R-73, R-27 and R-77 RVVAE among others in subsequent years. Similarly SA-2 (Dvina) was India’s first Surface-to-Air missile. SA-3 Pechora and OSA-AK SAM-8 joined the IAF later. The state-of-the-art jointly developed Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is already under induction into the Indian Armed Forces and may also be exported.

The Soviets helped India set up three new factories for HAL at Nasik (aircraft), Koraput (engines) and Hyderabad (avionics). 150 swing-wing MiG-23 joined the IAF starting 1982 and flew till 2009. The IAF got 160 MiG-27s of which 150 were assembled in India. 63 of the 80 MiG-29s procured are being upgraded currently. Five squadrons of 125 upgraded MiG-21 ‘Bison’ will see IAF through till 2022. Sukhoi Su-30MKI, an advanced variant of SU-27, was developed for the IAF after a joint design and development project in early 2000s. It is being licence-produced by HAL, a total of 272 aircraft are contracted for and 240 have already joined the IAF. The aircraft will soon be upgraded as ‘Super Sukhoi’ with AESA radar and will be the backbone of the IAF’s fighter fleet for at least the next two decades.

The break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 did cause a little turmoil in this otherwise rock-solid relationship…

The IAF operates IL-76MD (freighter), IL-78MKI (Air Refuellers) and A-50 with Israeli Phalcon radar as AWACs. The IL-76s are being used to logistically sustain the Indian Army in the Northern Himalayas and for inter-theatre air transportation. Mid-sized utility and assault helicopters Mi-8s joined IAF in the early 1980s. Later, more advanced versions Mi-17, Mi-17-1V and Mi-17V-5s followed. These variants form more than half of near 400 helicopter IAF fleet. The IAF also acquired six heavy-lift Mi-26 helicopters, three of which are still operating. The first dedicated attack helicopters of IAF, the Mi-25/35 were acquired in 1983. The two squadrons continue to operate even today albeit with depleting numbers. The Indian Navy too operated several types of Russian maritime fixed and rotary wing aircraft. These included Ilyushin IL-38, Tupelov Tu-142M, and many Kamov Ka-25, Ka-28 and Ka-31 helicopters. With the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (Ex Russian Gorshkov) came 45 MiG-29Ks. The Ka-226 has now been selected as the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) to be produced in India through technology transfer.

The break-up of Soviet Union in late 1980s did cause a little turmoil in this otherwise rock-solid relationship. A Russian engine will power the indigenous Intermediate Jet Trainer HJT-36. The Sukhoi-HAL equal partnership developed Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) is a derivative of Sukhoi’s T-50 prototype and is already flying in Russia and 200 of these may one day be inducted. The twin-engine Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA) is being developed jointly by the Russian United Aircraft Corporation and HAL. This 20-tonne load carrying aircraft (100 passengers) is to replace the smaller An-32. The first flight is likely to be in 2017 and expected to enter service by end of this decade. India continues to remain one of Russia’s largest military hardware markets.

Other European Countries

After Ukraine became independent in 1991, a significant part of the aircraft industry including Antonov aircraft plant was inherited by them. The IAF’s An-32 is manufactured there and is now being upgraded with their support. The An-70 is another, ahead of times, medium transport aircraft of Ukrainian origin designed with western military and civil certification standards that is also on offer for co-production in India. India has acquired over 100 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 Mk II trainers.

Sweden’s Saab has not been able to sell their Gripen to the IAF, but is in the race to supply medium-range maritime surveillance aircraft to the Indian Navy. German aircraft designer Kurt Tank had moved into India in 1960s and later joined HAL where he designed the HF-24 Marut fighter-bomber, the first indigenous military aircraft of India. Germany has a major stake in European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) Company formed in July 2000, now the Airbus Group. Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe.

LCA Tejas

Israel, India’s Natural Aerospace Partners

According to an international survey, Israelis like Indians the most and there is a ground swell of pro-Israel opinion in India. India established formal diplomatic relations in 1992 and defence ties with Israel in 1996. The first military contract was IAF’s Air Combat Instrumentation in 1996. This was followed by Dvora patrol boats for the Indian Navy. India has purchased Barak Naval anti-missile defence system, Phalcon advanced airborne early warning radars for India’s IL-76-based AWACs, Heron and Searcher Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Night Vision Goggles, Spider quick-reaction surface-to-air missiles, Green Pine early-warning and fire-control radars and many other items such as Laser guidance kits and Head-Up-Displays. Israel is currently the world’s sixth biggest defence exporter and India, one of the major buyers. Israel is the second largest exporter of UAVs in the world.

Israelis like Indians the most, and there is a ground-swell of pro-Israel opinion in India…

Additionally, ELTA maritime radars are flying on IAF Jaguars and the Multi-Mode Radar is on India’s LCA Tejas. An ELM-2022-based radar is fitted on IAF’s aerostat system. ELTA airborne jammers are on several Indian fighter aircraft. IAI and India’s Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) are in joint development and production of the long-range Barak missile system. Elbit has a joint venture with HAL to manufacture simulators and avionics for the latter’s Skylark mini UAVs. This will also help HAL in developing its own UAVs. Under a 2008 agreement, Rafael was awarded a contract to supply the IAF with Spyder Low-Level Quick Reaction Missile systems (LLQRM) armed with Python and Derby missiles.

In 2007, a joint venture of $2.5 billion for the co-production of Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM), capable of hitting targets up to 70 kilometres away was signed. In August 2009, India signed a $2.5 billion deal with IAI and Rafael for the joint development of a new, advanced version of the Spyder Surface-to-Air Missile.

Indo-US Aviation Bond

Indo-US relations have come a long way since the cold vibes of the 1950s which had pushed India into the Soviet camp. USAF-IAF contact had begun after the Sino-Indian War of 1962 when the USAF ran Exercise Shiksha in India to teach modern Air Defence techniques. Four decades later, starting 2004, Cope India series of exercises began, followed by IAF participation in the Top-Gun Red Flag Exercise. A serious relationship started with the US offering high-end aircraft and India procuring six Special Operations aircraft C-130J-30s “Super Hercules”. Additional six have since been ordered.

Indo-US relations have come a long way since the cold vibes of 1950s which had pushed India into the Soviet camp…

Ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, strategic lift aircraft were acquired next. The 77.5 tonne payload C-17 can operate from short and rough airstrips and will augment India’s ability for inter-theatre movement of troops and equipment. Eight Boeing P-8I Neptune, meant for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) aircraft, ship interdiction roles, and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) began joining from May 15, 2013. Four more have been ordered. The IAF will also soon have 22 Boeing’s Apache AH-64 Longbow helicopters in its inventory to replace the ageing Russian attack helicopters. This will also bring day-and-night sensor suite, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. The Indian Army will later get 39 Apaches. 15 Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for the IAF will also be part of the massive arms diversifying shift for India. With the ability to carry up to 55 troops or 12,700 kg cargo, the Chinook will be used in air assault missions and inserting troops into fire bases. Once cleared at Government level, dealings for most US systems are with private companies and they are easier to deal with.

HAL, PSUs and Private Industry

The HAL has made thousands of fixed and rotary wing aircraft in the last 70 years. Other than the HF-24 Marut, and a few trainers, and more recently, the LCA Tejas, all aircraft have been of foreign origin, licence-produced in India. In most of these cases, India has been dependent on foreign suppliers even for relatively low-end technologies. Often licence production was at the mercy of foreign supplied systems or parts. At times, small parts either become obsolete or no one manufactures them due poor economics of scale. HAL was only partially successful in creating local vendors for these parts.

The Indian aviation industry is dependent on many DRDO labs and other Defence PSUs…

HAL has had production quality issues in spite of full foreign production technology drawings. Major components of the LCA, the engine, radar, ejection seat, avionics and most weapons are imported. A better approach could have been Joint Ventures or best reverse engineering which the erstwhile Soviet Union and more recently, China had mastered. The logistics chain for the IAF often means routing spare parts to foreign vendors through HAL. HAL’s ability to arm-twist foreign vendors is relatively low. Also, many foreign suppliers are worried of India becoming independent of them and keep delaying supplies to HAL intentionally. The Indian aviation industry is also dependent on many DRDO labs and other Defence PSUs who in turn are also dependent on foreign firms. Complexities for them are similar. While it is encouraging to see some major private players entering defence production, industry has still to takeoff in a big way because of small scale and high-risk investment. All eyes are on DPP 2016 to make a difference.

Operational Management

India has mastered the art of operationally managing mixed fleets of aircraft. The IAF has seven types of fighter aircraft today. In the recent past, India has integrated a large number of fully programmable Western and Indian avionics even in Russian aircraft such as SU-30, Mig-27 and MiG-21 Bison. They all connect with Russian onboard systems through a common data-bus and a universal mission computer. Russian aircraft do have some commonality of systems; but spare parts nomenclatures being different did make it difficult for the IAF to manage inventories for many years.

The Pakistan Air Force has decided to restrict its fighter aircraft fleet to just three to four types in the long run. Even though the IAF will have sizeable numbers of Su-30 and LCA, the number of fighter types will always be around five to seven. Beyond 2025, the IAF will mostly have Russian, British, French, Indian and maybe, even American fighter aircraft. Larger aircraft inventories do add to costs but till we build a strong indigenous defence industry, geo-politically, it is best to spread the eggs in different baskets. Interoperability would have to be managed through regular exercises. Signing of Logistics and Maintenance Agreement (LEMOA) with USA will also bring the militaries logistically closer.

The Pakistan Air Force has decided to restrict its fighter aircraft fleet to just three to four types…

Logistics and Maintenance Complexities

Western nations have had the capitalist culture for long. Countries like the US do have strategic or political reasons for military supplies; but most European countries primarily have commercial interests. This has heightened after the end of the Cold War and India’s emergence as an economic power. The Soviets, to politically win over India, earlier supplied aircraft in barter for ships load of bananas, shoes or hosiery. After the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, the payments are in hard dollars, but the mindset of many in the aircraft industry has still to recover from the Soviet hangover. Signing of even small contracts for spares takes years to obtain approval.

Some Russian production houses are financially weak because of considerably reduced orders. Russian combat aircraft per unit initial costs have always been lower, but the life cycle costs have invariably been high and also the system serviceability often low. The long repair cycle involving complex export-import procedures, the Russian fleet serviceability has been low at between 50 to 60 per cent. While Western nations have adopted modern online means of spares monitoring and supply, Russians mostly follow the old system of indenting.

The IAF’s contract with France on Mirage 2000 for door-to-door delivery of spares is worth emulating. Serviceability and mission accomplishment rates of some Western fleet have been fairly high. Any force with around 800 combat aircraft having 60 per cent serviceability would mean 320 aircraft in the hangar. The government mandated serviceability is stipulated as 75 per cent. With the average cost of a fighter aircraft at `150 crore, 320 aircraft on the ground would mean assets worth `48,000 crore being non-operational – an acceptably high figure.

Once cleared at Government level, dealings for most American systems are with private companies and easier to deal with…

Action Time

The IAF’s depleting air assets are already inadequate for an air campaign in a two-front war scenario. Technology-intensive air power requires faster replacement of assets due to quicker obsolescence. The IAF is down to 33 combat squadrons vis-a-vis the authorised 42. Low serviceability adds to the already dismal scenario. A critical component of improved serviceability is the improved logistics chain. Even if it means procuring a larger number of spares, it may be worth considering. Also, early addressing of obsolescence would help. For every five per cent improvement in serviceability would mean adding 40 aircraft (over two squadrons). By merely improving the average serviceability to 75 per cent, the IAF could operationalise around seven to eight squadrons – a much cheaper alternative than new acquisitions. Serviceability is an issue that requires attention on a war footing. Defence Budget at a meagre 1.65 per cent of the GDP this year needs to go up significantly. To meet the realistic operational requirements of the three Services, the budget should be at least 2.5 per cent of the GDP for next ten years.

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The Indo-Soviet/Russian ‘special’ relationship had been due to be American ambivalence towards India and Indian military needs for decades. If the recent change succeeds and India’s military-industrial complex gets support for significant self-reliance, the Indo-US bond is bound to strengthen. Civilization clash is less about religions and more about unequal distribution of world power, wealth and influence. Although it has become fashionable to argue that economic strength, not military might is power, but in reality, the post-Cold War military expenditures and arms development, and military muscle flexing disprove this thesis. A good example is China bulldozing its way into the South China Sea.

India has learned the hard way that a unilateral desire for peace cannot bring about peace. A country can enjoy peace only if it can defend peace. The US offer of the most high-end weapon systems and to transfer F-16/F-18 entire assembly line to India with full Transfer of Technology, is alluring. Whether that will upset the already floundering, cost-prohibitive FGFA programme with the Russians, will be a test of time. Sorting out logistics chains and improving serviceability of the varied fleet of aircraft in its inventory should get priority.

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The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the Indian Defence Review.

About the Author

Air Marshal Anil Chopra

Commanded a Mirage Squadron, two operational air bases and the IAF’s Flight Test Centre ASTE

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One thought on “Multiple Origin Fleet: Complexities for the IAF

  1. Perhaps too much readily input info for Pak and China, a breach of military security? Doubtless it is a formidable task to absorb state of the art technology from different sources for any nation, not to mention India’s IAF. I wonder why this respected author has avoided the issue of loss of precious lives of airmen as well as military hardware in accidents in flying modern machines which is surely India specific. No point of going on a buying spree if you cannot master/service these hardwires. As an aside, how does IAF verify that the French supplied AESA works as advertised in glossy brochures? It appears that the “chaiwala” PM has pulled a stunt in going for Rafael.

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