Indian Air Force. Indian Army. MiG geopolitics does not forgive mistakes

Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV

Modern India is a fast developing state on a global scale. Its importance as a powerful aerospace power is constantly growing. For example, the country has its own modern SHAR spaceport on the island of Sriharikata, a well-equipped space flight control center, a developed national rocket and space industry, which develops and mass-produces launch vehicles capable of launching payloads into space (including geostationary orbits). The country has already entered the international space services market and has experience in launching foreign satellites into space. They also have their own cosmonauts, and the first of them - Air Force Major Rokesh Sharma - visited Soviet space spaceship"Soyuz" back in April 1984

The Air Force of the Republic of India is the youngest branch of the national armed forces. Officially, the date of their formation is considered to be October 8, 1932, when in Rusal Pur (now located in Pakistan), the British colonial administration began the formation of the first aviation squadron of the Royal British Air Force from representatives of the local population. The Indian Air Force High Command was formed only after the country gained independence in 1947.

Currently, the Indian Air Force is the most numerous and combat-ready among all the states of South Asia and is even among the top ten largest and most powerful air forces in the world. In addition, they have real and quite rich experience in combat operations.

Organizationally, the Air Force of the Republic of India consists of a headquarters (located in Delhi), a training command, a logistics command (MTO) and five operational (regional) air commands (AC):

Western AK with headquarters in Palama (Delhi region): its task is to provide air defense to a large territory, from Kashmir to Rajasthan, including the capital of the state. At the same time, given the complexity of the situation in the region of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, a separate task force has been formed there;

South-West AK (headquarters in Gandhi Nagar): its area of ​​​​responsibility is defined as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra;

Central AK with headquarters in Allahabad (another name is Ilahabad): the area of ​​​​responsibility includes almost the entire Indo-Gangetic plain;

Eastern AK (headquarters in Shillong): implementation of air defense of the eastern regions of India, Tibet, as well as territories on the borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar;

Southern AK (headquarters in Trivandrum): formed in 1984, responsible for airspace security in the southern part of the country.

The MTO Command, whose headquarters is located in Nagpur, is responsible for various warehouses, repair shops (enterprises) and aircraft storage parks.

The Training Command has its headquarters in Bangalore and is responsible for combat training of air force personnel. It has a developed network of educational institutions of various ranks, most of which are located in southern India. Basic flight training for future pilots is carried out at the Air Force Academy (Dandgal), and pilots undergo further training in special schools in Bidar and Hakimpet on TS training aircraft. 11 "Iskra" and "Kiran". In the near future, the Indian Air Force will also receive Hawk MI 32 jet trainers. In addition, the training command also has special training centers such as the College of Air Warfare.

There is also an interspecific joint Far Eastern Command of the Armed Forces (also called the Andaman-Nicobar Command) with headquarters in Port Blair, to which the Air Force units stationed in that area are operationally subordinate.

This branch of the Indian Armed Forces is headed by the commander of the air force (locally called the chief of air staff), usually with the rank of air chief marshal. Basic air force bases(BBB): Allahabad, Bam Rauli, Bangalore, Dundigal (home to the Indian Air Force Academy), Hakimpet, Hyderabad, Jam Nagar, Jojpur, Nagpur, Delhi and Shillong. There are also more than 60 other primary and reserve air bases and airfields in different parts of India.

According to official data, the total strength of the Indian Air Force reaches 110 thousand people. This type of national armed forces of the republic is armed with more than 2,000 combat and combat aircraft and helicopters. auxiliary aviation, including:

Fighter-bombers

Fighters and air defense fighters

About 460;

Reconnaissance aircraft - 6;

Transport aircraft - more than 230;

Training and combat training aircraft - more than 400;

Fire support helicopters - about 60;

Multi-purpose, transport and communication helicopters - about 600.

In addition, several dozen air defense divisions are subordinate to the Air Force command, which are armed with more than 150 anti-aircraft missile systems various types, mostly of Soviet and Russian production (the newest are 45 Tunguska M-1 air defense missile systems).

Mikoyan Design Bureau aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force are in parade formation

Jaguar fighter-bomber and MiG-29 fighter of the Indian Air Force

Fighter-bomber MiG-27ML "Bahadur"

The special forces of the Indian Air Force, whose units are called Garud, are also in a special position. Its task is to defend the most important Air Force facilities and conduct anti-terrorist and anti-sabotage operations.

It should, however, be emphasized that due to the fairly high accident rate in the Indian Air Force, it is not possible at the moment to accurately indicate the quantitative composition of their aircraft fleet. For example, according to the regionally authoritative magazine Aircraft & Aerospace Asia-Pacific, only for the period 1993-1997. The Indian Air Force lost a total of 94 aircraft and helicopters of various types. Partial losses, of course, are made up for through licensed production of aircraft at Indian aircraft factories or additional purchases, but, firstly, partially, and secondly, this does not happen quickly enough.

The main tactical unit of the Indian Air Force has traditionally been the aviation squadron (AE), which averages up to 18 aircraft. According to the provisions of the currently ongoing reform of the armed forces, by 2015 there should be 41 combat aircraft (including helicopters and attack helicopters). Moreover, at least a third of their total number should be squadrons equipped with multi-purpose aircraft - most of them Su-ZOMKI. According to data at the beginning of 2007, the national air force had more than 70 air forces, including:

Fighter air defense - 15;

Fighter-assault - 21;

Naval aviation - 1;

Intelligence - 2;

Transport - 9;

Refueling tankers - 1;

Helicopter strikes - 3;

Helicopter transport, communications and surveillance - over 20,

Despite the impressive fleet of aircraft and helicopters, the Indian Air Force is currently experiencing quite serious difficulties in maintaining all aircraft in normal condition. technical condition. According to many analysts, a significant part of Soviet-made planes and helicopters are technically and morally outdated and are not in a combat-ready state. The Indian Air Force, as noted earlier, also has high accident rates, which is also most likely a consequence of the low technical readiness of older types of aircraft and helicopters. Thus, according to the Indian Ministry of Defense, from 1970 to June 4, 2003, 449 aircraft were lost: 31 Jaguars, 4 Mirages and 414 MiGs of various types. Recently, this figure has improved somewhat - to 18 aircraft in 2002 (i.e. 2.81 aircraft for every 1000 flight hours) and even less in subsequent years - but still quite significantly thins out the ranks of Indian aviation.

This state of affairs cannot but cause concern among the command of the national air force and the armed forces as a whole. It is therefore not surprising that the Air Force budget for FY 2004-2005. increased significantly and amounted to about $1.9 billion. At the same time, financing for the purchase of aviation equipment, ammunition and equipment is carried out on separate items from the general budget of the armed forces, which for this period amounted to $15 billion (an increase of 9.45% in compared to the previous financial year is about 2.12% of GDP) plus another 5.7 billion dollars - expenditures on R&D and arms and military equipment purchases during 2004-2007.

There are two ways to solve problems with the aviation fleet. This is the modernization of old and the purchase of new aviation equipment and weapons. The first, of course, includes the ongoing modernization program for 125 MiG-21bis fighters (the MiG-21 in various modifications was supplied by the Soviet Union and produced in India under license, and the first group of design bureau employees arrived in the country to organize local production of these aircraft back in 1965). The new modification received the designation MiG-21-93 and is equipped with a modern Kopye radar (JSC Fazotron-NIIR Corporation), the latest avionics, etc. The modernization program was completed in the first quarter of 2005.

L and ney of MiG-29 fighters

Other countries did not stand aside either. For example, the Ukrainian company Ukrspetsexport signed an agreement in 2002 with an estimated cost of about $15 million regarding the overhaul of six MiG-23UB combat trainer aircraft from the 220th air squadron. As part of the work carried out by the Chuguev Aircraft Repair Plant of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, repairs were carried out on the R-27F2M-300 engines (the direct contractor here was the Lugansk Aircraft Repair Plant), airframe, etc. The aircraft were transferred to the Indian Air Force in pairs in June, July and August 2004.

New equipment is also being purchased. The main program here, without a doubt, is the acquisition of 32 multifunctional Su-ZOMKI fighters and the licensed production of another 140 aircraft of this type already on the territory of India itself (Russia was given a “deep license” without the right to re-export these aircraft). The cost of these two contracts is estimated at almost 4.8 billion dollars. A special feature of the Su-ZOMKI program is that the aircraft is widely represented by avionics of Indian, French, English and Israeli design, which was successfully integrated by Russian specialists into the on-board complex of the fighter.

The first Su-30s (in the “K” modification) were included in the 24th fighter-attack AE “Hunting Falcons,” subordinate to the Southwestern Aviation Command. The latter's area of ​​responsibility is the most strategically important areas adjacent to Pakistan and rich in oil, natural gas, etc. reserves, including on the sea shelf. By the way, almost all MiG-29 fighters are at the disposal of the same command. This testifies to the high appreciation given to Russian aircraft by the Indian military and politicians.

The Su-ZOMKIs supplied by the Irkut Corporation were officially adopted by the Indian Air Force and included in the combat strength of the 20th Fighter-Assault Air Force based at the Lohegaon Air Force Base near the city of Pune. The ceremony was attended by the country's former defense minister George Fernandez.

However, back on June 11, 1997, during the official ceremony of incorporation of the first eight Su-ZOK into the Air Force, held at the Lohegaon Air Force Base, the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Satish Kumar Sari, stated that “The Su-ZOK is the most advanced fighter, completely meeting the present and future needs of the Air Force.” Representatives of the air force command of neighboring Pakistan have repeatedly expressed and continue to express “deep concern” about the entry of such modern aircraft into service with Indian aviation. Thus, according to them, “forty Su-30 aircraft have the same destructive power as 240 old-type aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force, and have a greater range than the Prithvi missiles.” (Bill Sweetman. Looking to a fighter future. Jane's International Defense Review. February 2002, pp. 62-65)

In India, these aircraft are produced at the factories of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which has invested about $160 million in installing a new assembly line. The transfer of the first Su-30MKI assembled in India took place on November 28, 2004. The last licensed fighter should be transferred to the troops no later than 2014 (previously it was planned to complete the program by 2017).

It should be especially noted that Indian sources have repeatedly expressed the opinion that the newest Russian aircraft will be able to add to the list of means of delivering nuclear weapons to India. Especially if negotiations on the purchase of Tu-22MZ bombers, which have a flight range of about 2200 km and a maximum combat load of 24 tons, end in nothing. And, as you know, the military-political leadership of India attaches great importance to increasing the combat capabilities of the strategic command created on January 4, 2003 nuclear forces, which was headed by former fighter pilot and now Air Marshal T. Asthana (former commander of the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force).

Upgraded MiG-21-93 fighter

Transport helicopter Mi-8T

As for the nuclear weapons themselves, according to available data, in 1998, during nuclear tests conducted in the Rajasthan desert at the Pokhran army test site, Indian specialists also used aerial bombs with a yield of less than one kiloton. These are the ones they plan to hang under the “drying racks”. Considering the presence of refueling tankers in the Indian Air Force, the Su-30MKI, as a carrier of low-power nuclear weapons, can truly turn into a strategic weapon.

In 2004, one of the most pressing problems of the Indian Air Force was finally solved - providing it with modern training aircraft. As a result of a contract worth $1.3 billion signed with the British company VAB Systems, Indian pilots will receive 66 Hawk Mk132 jet trainers.

The Government Committee on Armed Forces Procurement approved this agreement back in September 2003, but the final decision was traditionally timed to coincide with an important event, which was the Defexpo lndia-2004 exhibition, held in February 2004 in the country's capital. Of the 66 aircraft ordered, 42 will be assembled directly in India at the enterprises of the national company HAL, and the first batch of 24 aircraft will be assembled at the BAE Systems plants in Brough (East Yorkshire) and Warton (Lancashire). The Indian version of the Hawk will be in many ways similar to the Hawk Mk115, which is used as part of the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) pilot training program.

The changes will affect some cockpit equipment, and all American-made systems will also be removed. To replace it and some of the English equipment, a similar one will be installed, but designed and manufactured in India. The so-called “glass” cockpit will feature a Head Down Multi-Function Display, a Head Up Display and a Hands-On-Throttie-And-Stick control system. , or NOT AS).

In addition, the program to create, through the Indian aerospace industry, a training aircraft intermediate training HJT-36 (Indian sources use the name Intermediate Jet Trainer, or IJT), intended to replace the outdated HJT-16 Kiran aircraft. The first prototype of the HJT-36 aircraft, which has been developed and built by HAL since July 1999, completed a successful test flight on March 7, 2003.

Another undoubted success of the Indian defense industry can be considered the Dhruv helicopter, designed on its own, designed to gradually replace the large fleet of Chita and Chitak helicopters. The official adoption of the new helicopter into service with the Indian Armed Forces took place in March 2002. Since then, several dozen machines have been delivered to the troops (both the Air Force and the Army), which are undergoing intensive testing. It is expected that over the next years at least 120 Dhruv helicopters will enter the armed forces of the republic. Moreover, the latter also has a civilian modification, which the Indians are promoting to the international market. There are already real and potential customers for these rotorcraft.-

Fighter "Mirage" 2000N

Transport aircraft An-32

Realizing that in modern conditions the presence of AWACS aircraft in the Air Force has already become a vital necessity, the Indian command on March 5, 2004 entered into a contract with the Israeli company IAI for the supply of three sets of the Phalcon AWACS system, which will be installed on Il aircraft specially converted for this purpose -76. The AWACS complex includes a radar with a phased antenna array E 1/ M-2075 from Elta, communication and data exchange systems, as well as electronic reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures equipment. Almost all information on the Phalcon system is classified, but some Israeli and Indian sources claim that its characteristics are superior to a similar complex of the Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft, also developed on the basis of the Il-76 transport aircraft (as for Indian specialists, they can do such statements, since in the summer of 2000 they had the opportunity to get a closer look at the Russian “awax” during Air Force exercises, in which two A-50s specifically took part. (Ranjit B. Rai. Airpower in India - a review of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, Asian Military Review, Volume 11, Issue 1, February 2003, p. 44. The contract value is $1.1 billion, of which India has committed to pay $350 million in advance payment within 45 days. from the date of signing of the agreement.The first aircraft will be handed over to the Indian Air Force in November 2007, the second in August 2008 and the last in February 2009.

It should be noted that the Indians tried to solve this issue on their own and developed a project to convert several HS.748 transport aircraft, produced in India under an English license, into an AWACS aircraft (the program was called ASP). The mushroom-shaped fairing of the radar, located on the fuselage closer to the tail, has a diameter of 4.8 m and was supplied by the German concern DASA. The conversion work was entrusted to HAL's Kanpur office. The prototype aircraft made its first flight at the end of 1990. But then the program was suspended.

The implementation of the new military doctrine of the Indian Armed Forces, adopted at the turn of the century, required the aviation command to create a fleet of tanker aircraft. The presence of such aircraft will allow the Indian Air Force to accomplish its missions at a completely different level. According to the contract concluded in 2002, India received six Il-78MKI refueling tankers, the construction of which was entrusted to the Tashkent Aviation Plant. Each Il can take on board 110 tons of fuel and refuel seven aircraft in one flight (Mirage and Su-30K/MKI have been identified as the first candidates for working with tankers). The cost of one aircraft is about $28 million. It is interesting that the Israeli aviation industry “took a piece” here too, concluding a contract to equip the Ilovs themselves with an in-flight refueling system.

The Indian company HAL continues the development program for the national light combat aircraft LCA, which began back in 1983. The technical specifications for the aircraft were formulated by the Indian Air Force in 1985, three years later under a contract worth $10 million, the French company Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation completed the design of the aircraft, and in 1991 the construction of an experimental LCA began. Initially, the new aircraft was scheduled to enter service in 2002, but the program began to stall and was constantly postponed. The main reason is the lack of financial resources and technical difficulties faced by Indian specialists.

In the medium term, we should expect the entry into service of a new Russian-Indian transport aircraft, which has so far received the designation Il-214. The corresponding agreement was signed during a visit to Delhi on February 5-8, 2002 by a Russian delegation consisting of representatives of several ministries and departments, headed by the then Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of Russia Ilya Klebanov. At the same time, the second meeting of the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation was held. The main developer of the aircraft is Russia, and its production will be carried out at the factories of the Russian corporation Irkut and the Indian company HAL.

However, according to the Indian military, the main emphasis in the short term should be on the purchase of the latest ammunition, mainly high-precision air-to-surface weapons, which are practically absent in the Indian Air Force. According to Indian sources, the vast majority of modern aviation weapons Indian aviation consists of conventional bombs and obsolete missiles of various classes. In the current conditions of high-tech war, guided bombs, “smart” medium- and long-range missiles, as well as others are required the latest tools armed struggle.

Joint aerobatics of MiG-29 and F-15 during one of the US-Indian exercises

In November 2004, the command of the Indian Air Force preliminary approved a work plan of action, which provides for a wider use of budget funds allocated to this type of armed forces for the purchase of aircraft weapons. It is expected that about $250 million will be allocated annually to the Air Force Commander for these purposes.

It should be especially noted that it is planned to equip the unmanned aircraft of the Searcher, Mark-2 and Hero types available to the Air Force with small-caliber guided ammunition with GPS receivers and modern reconnaissance and surveillance systems for effective use them in mountainous areas (mainly on the border with Pakistan). As a priority measure to strengthen the air defense of aviation groups, the Air Force command proposed to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense to supply the troops with at least 10 divisions of the Shord short-range air defense system.

The Indian military-political leadership strives for the full development of military-technical cooperation with various foreign countries, not wanting to become dependent on any one partner. The longest history goes back to military-technical ties with Great Britain (which is quite natural, given the country’s long colonial past) and Russia. However, Delhi is gradually gaining new partners.

In 1982, a memorandum of understanding (in the rank of a long-term intergovernmental agreement) was signed between India and France on military-technical cooperation, including the supply of arms and military equipment, licensed production of a number of weapons and military equipment. The possibility of so-called technology transfer is also provided. For the most effective implementation of the agreement, an intergovernmental advisory group was created.

This was followed by Israel, with which India has established fairly strong relations in various fields, and the United States has become the most “recent” partner. Latest in September 2002 in the new Strategy national security For the first time, India was given the status of a “strategically important partner.”

A mutual decision to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries was made back in November 2001 during a summit meeting between American President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. On September 21, 2004, negotiations were held in Washington between the US President and the new Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh. The meeting, during which a wide range of issues were discussed in such important areas as bilateral cooperation, regional security and the development of economic ties, took place just a few days after the signing on September 17 by India and the United States of an important document on the lifting of American restrictions on the export of equipment for Indian facilities. nuclear energy. Export licensing procedures for US companies in commercial space programs were also simplified, and the Indian Space Research Organization (fSRO) disappeared from the US Commerce Department's blacklist.

These activities are carried out within the framework of the first stage of a long-term strategic cooperation program, announced in January 2004 and aimed at eliminating all barriers to bilateral cooperation in the field of high technology, commercial use outer space and strengthening the policy of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). In American circles it is often called “Next Steps in Strategic Partnership” (NSSP),

In the second phase of the NSSP, the main focus is on continuing to remove barriers to closer cooperation in the field of high technologies, and joint steps to strengthen the regime of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies.

If we talk about Russia, then for it close cooperation with India, including in the military-technical sphere, is vital. India is not only a “priority” buyer of our weapons, but also a strategic ally, actually covering our borders from the South Asian direction. Not to mention that India is the dominant power in the South Asian region today. In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that only with India Russia has a long-term “Military-Technical Cooperation Program”, originally designed for the period until 2000, but now extended until 2010. And our military-political leadership must under no circumstances miss initiative in this matter.

The Indian Air Force was created on October 8, 1932, when the first batch of Indian pilots were sent to Great Britain for training. The first squadron of the Indian Air Force, formed on April 1, 1933 in Karachi, became part of the British Air Force. The collapse of the British colony into two states (India and Pakistan) in 1947 led to the division of its air force. The Indian Air Force consists of only 6.5 squadrons. Currently, the Indian Air Force is the fourth largest after the United States, China and Russia.

Organization, strength, combat strength and weapons. The general management of the air force is carried out by a headquarters headed by a chief (also known as the commander-in-chief of the air force) with the rank of air chief marshal. He is responsible to the government of the country for the state of the Air Force, the solution of the tasks assigned to them and their further development.

The headquarters manages the development of national plans for operational and mobilization deployment, plans and controls combat and operational training, ensures the participation of the Air Force in national exercises, organizes interaction with the headquarters of the ground forces and naval forces. Being supreme body operational control of the air force, it is divided into operational and general parts.

Organizationally, the Indian Air Force consists of five air commands - Western (headquarters in Delhi), South-Western (Jodhpur), Central (Allahabad), Eastern (Shillong) and Southern (Trivandrum), as well as training.

Air Command is the highest operational force, headed by a commander with the rank of air marshal. It is designed to conduct air operations on one or two operational directions. The commander is responsible for the combat readiness of units and subunits, plans and conducts operational and combat training, exercises and training on the scale of the command entrusted to him. In wartime, he interacts with the commands of the ground forces and naval forces conducting combat operations in his area of ​​​​responsibility. The Air Command has air wings, anti-aircraft guided missile wings, as well as individual units and subunits. The combat composition of this command is not constant: it depends on the operational situation in the area of ​​​​responsibility and the assigned tasks.

Air wing is a tactical unit of the national air force. It consists of a headquarters, one to four aviation squadrons, as well as combat and logistics support. As a rule, air wings are not of the same type in composition, and they may include squadrons of various types of aviation.

Aviation squadron is the main tactical unit of the national air force, capable of operating independently or as part of an air wing. It usually includes three detachments, two of which are flying (combat), and the third is technical. The squadron is armed with aircraft of the same type, the number of which (from 16 to 20) depends on the mission of the squadron. An air squadron is usually based at one airfield.

The air force numbers 140 thousand people. There are a total of 772 combat aircraft in service (as of September 1, 2000).

Combat aviation includes fighter-bomber, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft.

Fighter-bomber aviation has 17 squadrons, which are armed with MiG-21, MiG-23 (Fig. 1), MiG-27 (279 units) and Jaguar (88) aircraft.

Fighter aviation is the backbone of the nation's air force. It consists of 20 squadrons, which are armed with Su-30 (Fig. 2), MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 (Fig. 3) aircraft of various modifications (325 units) and Mi-Rage-2000 ( 35 units, Fig. 4).

Reconnaissance aircraft include two squadrons (16 aircraft), equipped with MiG-25 reconnaissance aircraft (eight), as well as legacy Canberra aircraft (eight).

The air defense fighter aviation is represented by one aviation squadron of MiG-29 aircraft (21 units).

The auxiliary aviation includes transport aviation units, communications aircraft, a government squadron, as well as combat training and training squadrons. They are armed with: 25 Il-76,105 An-32 aircraft (Fig. 5), 40 Do-228 (Fig. 6), two Boeing 707, four Boeing 737,120 NJT-16 “Kiran-1”, 50 HJT “Kiran-1” 2" (see color insert), 38 "Hunter", as well as 80 Mi-8 helicopters (Fig. 7), 35 Mi-17, ten Mi-26, 20 "Chitak". In addition, the Air Force has three squadrons of Mi-25 combat helicopters (32 units).

Aerodrome network. According to foreign press data, there are 340 airfields in the country (of which 143 are with artificial turf: 11 have runways over 3,000 m long, 50 - from 2,500 to 3,000 m, 82 - from 1,500 to 2,500 m ). In peacetime, about 60 airfields of various classes are allocated for the basing of combat and auxiliary aviation, the main of which are the following: Delhi, Srinagar, Pathan Kot, Ambala, Jodhpur, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Pune, Tambaram, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Agra, Allahabad, Gwalior, Nagpur, Kalaikunda, Bagdogra, Gauhati, Shillong (Fig. 8).

Training and retraining of Air Force personnel are carried out in educational institutions that are part of the Air Force Training Command, which trains specialists for all branches of aviation, headquarters, agencies and services of the Air Force. Pilots, navigators and radio operators are trained at the Air Force Flight College (Jodhpur). In it educational institution graduates of the aviation department of the National Defense Academy and the National cadet corps. Upon completion, the course of study continues in one of the training wings of the Air Training Command, after which graduates are awarded the rank of officer.

Air defense India is mainly of an object nature. Its main efforts are concentrated on protecting the most important military installations, military-industrial and administrative centers. Strengths and means air defense include air defense fighter aviation units, anti-aircraft guided missile systems, control posts and centers, as well as detection, processing and data transmission facilities that provide all components of the air defense system with the necessary information.

Currently, the entire territory of India is divided into five air defense regions (Western, Southwestern, Central, Eastern and Southern), the boundaries of which coincide with the areas of responsibility of the corresponding air commands. Air defense areas are divided into sectors. The sector is the lowest territorial air defense unit, within which planning of combat operations is carried out, as well as the management of air defense forces and means.

Rice. 7. Group of Mi-8 transport and landing helicopters

The main organizational unit of air defense is the missile defense wing. As a rule, it consists of a headquarters, two to five missile defense squadrons and a technical squadron.

Operational control of air defense forces and means is carried out at three levels: the operational center of Indian air defense, operational centers of air defense areas, control and warning centers of air defense sectors.

Air Defense Operations Center is the country's highest air defense management body, which collects and processes data on the air situation and assesses it. During combat operations, he issues target designations to air defense areas and manages the distribution of forces and assets of the areas in order to repel an air attack in the most dangerous directions.

Air defense district operational centers solve the following tasks: assess the air situation, manage air defense forces and means, organize the interception of air targets in their area of ​​responsibility.

Control and warning centers for air defense sectors are the main control bodies in the air defense system. Their functions include: monitoring the airspace, detecting, identifying and tracking air targets, transmitting warning signals, announcing alarms, transmitting commands to lift fighters into the air and point them at the target, as well as transmitting target designations and commands to open fire with anti-aircraft missile systems .

To monitor the air situation in India, a network of stationary and mobile radar posts has been deployed. Data exchange between them and air defense centers is carried out using cable lines, tropospheric and radio relay communication systems, as well as the automated control system of the Indian Air Force.

The SAM squadrons are armed with 280 launchers SAM S-75 "Dvina" and S-125 "Pechora".

Rice. 8. Location of the main air bases of the Indian Air Force

Operational and combat training of the Indian Air Force is aimed at increasing the level of training of control bodies of all levels, the combat and mobilization readiness of aviation associations, formations and units, maintaining them in high degree combat readiness, as well as to improve the forms and methods of using aviation, air defense forces and means in modern warfare. At the same time, in the context of government restrictions on the financial needs of the armed forces, the Air Force command as a whole ensures the implementation of the main planned combat training activities mainly through an integrated approach to organizing their implementation and optimizing the composition of the forces and assets involved. Considering that the Indian leadership considers Pakistan as the main potential enemy, most of the combat training activities of the Western, Southwestern and Central Aviation Commands of the Indian Air Force are carried out against the backdrop of an aggravation of the situation on the Indian-Pakistani border with the subsequent escalation of the border conflict into full-scale hostilities.

Development of the air force. The military-political leadership of India pays constant attention to the development of the Air Force and increasing its combat capabilities. In particular, further improvement of the forces is envisaged organizational structure and increasing combat capabilities, qualitative improvement of the aircraft fleet and development of the airfield network, widespread use of electronic warfare equipment, as well as the introduction of automated control systems. The Air Force command considers it necessary to continue the adoption of the Su-30I multirole fighters, to intensify the implementation of the program for modernizing obsolete fighters of the MiG-21 and MiG-23 types, to decide on the supply of 10 Mirage-2000 aircraft from France, and also to begin with the assistance of British specialists to the production of modernized Jaguar tactical fighters at Indian aviation enterprises. Priority national programs currently being implemented include the development of prototypes of a light combat aircraft, a light combat helicopter, a Trishul short-range air defense system and medium range"Akash."

In general, according to the Indian command, the implementation of the Air Force modernization plan will significantly increase combat capabilities this type of armed forces and bring it into line with the requirements of national military doctrine.

To comment you must register on the site.

Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force Birender Singh Dhanova announced the conditions for the purchase of the Su-57 from Russia. He spoke about this in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper. According to the military leader, New Delhi is ready to return to the issue of cooperation with Russia...

14.07.2019

“Stern”: The Kremlin has chosen the tactics of dumping on the aviation market in order to push the Americans aside. The German magazine “Stern” decided to find out what happens to the aircraft that has completed the test cycle and is ready to be transferred to the troops. Russian fighter fifth generation Su-57? Why is his fate so strikingly different...

05.03.2019

Why is the Pakistani JF-17 interceptor dangerous for Indian fighters “Made in Russia” On February 27, during an air battle between the F-16 and MiG-21, which became famous throughout the world, light JF-17 fighters were flown into the skies over Kashmir from the Pakistani side. 17 Thunder (“Thunder” - author). "Thunders",...

03.03.2019

Bad news for the United States: a Pakistani fighter could shoot down not only the Su-30MKI, but also the MiG-21−93. The results of the collision between Indian and Pakistani air force fighters are quite ambiguous and cannot be accurately calculated. Much in air combat February 27 is covered in darkness and uncertainty thanks to the desire...

02.03.2019

Bad news from Kashmir turned into a good sensation for the Russian aircraft industry. Information about the clash on February 27, 2019 between Indian MiG-21 Bison fighters and Pakistani F-16 Fighting Falcon interceptors (“Attacking Falcon”) is received by extremely contradictory statements and distorted by counter statements. Just...

28.02.2019

A total of 32 aircraft took part in the air battle between Indian and Pakistani aircraft on February 27, NDTV reported. According to his sources, the Indian Air Force has deployed eight fighters - four Su-30MKI, two modernized Dassault Mirage...

28.02.2019

Exchange of airstrikes between India and Pakistan will not lead to a full-fledged war between the two countries - nuclear powers They don’t fight each other, that’s the main point of owning an atomic bomb. However, the current...

27.02.2019

The Americans have turned their backs on Islamabad; Russia will take this place. Traditionally, Delhi has been closer to Moscow than Islamabad. We were friends with India, but had strained relations with Pakistan. Monuments to Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma and Indira Gandhi still stand, but Prime Minister Zia-ul-Haq was only remembered with unkind words. Easily explained - Pakistan...

27.02.2019

The Pakistani army says it shot down two Indian warplanes that violated the country's airspace in the disputed Kashmir region on Wednesday morning. “One of the planes crashed in Azad Kashmir, the other in the area of ​​the Line of Control,”...

13.02.2019

India is buying a squadron of Russian multirole fighters. Delhi urgently needed Russian MiG-29s. The Indian Air Force is currently negotiating with Moscow to urgently purchase 21 multi-role fighters. The Economic Times reported this on February 12. According to the publication, the parties are still in the past...

Why does India need so many weapons? Geopolitics (see end of page).

India, together with the DPRK and Israel, is among the second three countries in the world in terms of military potential (the first three are Russia, the United States and the People's Republic of China). Indian Armed Forces (AF) personnel have high level combat and moral-psychological training, although it is recruited for hire. In India, as in Pakistan, due to the huge population and complex ethno-religious situation, recruiting the armed forces by conscription is not possible.

The country is the most important importer of weapons from Russia and maintains close military-technical cooperation with France, Great Britain, Israel and the United States.However, cooperation with the United States in the military-technical sphere is sagging due to the reluctance of the Americans to share their technologies with India and the inability to export some military products that are interesting to India. Therefore, for a long time, Delhi gave preference to military-technical cooperation with Moscow (more on this at the end of the page).

At the same time, India has a huge domestic military-industrial complex, which is theoretically capable of producing weapons and equipment of all classes, including nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles. However, weapons developed in India itself (the Arjun tank, the Tejas fighter, the Dhruv helicopter, etc.), as a rule, have very low technical and tactical characteristics, and their development has been going on for decades. The assembly quality of equipment manufactured under foreign licenses is often low, which is why the Indian Air Force has the highest accident rate in the world. Nowhere in the world does military equipment present such a “hodgepodge” of different types, different production, neighboring modern models and frankly outdated models, as in India. However, India has every reason to claim the title of one of the world's superpowers in the 21st century.

Xie Crets of the Indian Armed Forces

WITH Indian ground forces include the Training Command (headquarters in the city of Shimla) and six territorial commands - Central, Northern, Western, Southwestern, Southern, Eastern. At the same time, the 50th is directly subordinate to the headquarters of the ground forces. airborne brigade, 2 regiments of MRBM "Agni", 1 regiment of OTR "Prithvi-1", 4 regiments of cruise missiles "Brahmos".

• Central Command includes one army corps (AK). It consists of infantry, mountain, armored, artillery divisions, artillery, air defense, and engineering brigades. Currently, AK is temporarily transferred to the South-Western Command.
• Northern Command includes three army corps - 14th, 15th, 16th. They consist of 5 infantry and 2 mountain divisions, an artillery brigade.
• Western Command includes three AKs - 2nd, 9th, 11th. They consist of 1 armored division, 1 rifle division, 6 infantry divisions, 4 armored divisions, 1 mechanized division, 1 engineering division, 1 air defense brigade.
• South Western Command includes an artillery division, the 1st AK, temporarily transferred from the Central Command, the 10th AK, which includes an infantry and 2 RRF divisions, an air defense brigade, an armored brigade, an engineering brigade.
• Southern Command includes an artillery division and two AKs - the 12th and 21st. They consist of 1 armored, 1 RRF, 3 infantry divisions, armored, mechanized, artillery, air defense, and engineering brigades.
• Eastern Command includes an infantry division and three AKs - 3rd, 4th, 33rd, with three mountain divisions in each.

Ground forces belongs to most nuclear missile potential India. Two regiments each have 8 Agni IRBM launchers. In total, there are supposedly 80-100 Agni-1 missiles (flight range 1500 km), and 20-25 Agni-2 missiles (2-4 thousand km). The only regiment of the OTR "Prithvi-1" (range 150 km) has 12 launchers (PU) of this missile. All these ballistic missiles developed in India itself, they can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. Each of the 4 regiments of Brahmos cruise missiles (jointly developed by Russia and India) has 4-6 batteries, each with 3-4 launchers. The total number of Brahmos GLCM launchers is 72. Brahmos is perhaps the most versatile missile in the world; it is also in service with the Air Force (its carrier is the Su-30 fighter-bomber) and the Indian Navy (many submarines and surface ships ).

India's tank fleet is very powerful and modern. It includes 248 self-developed Arjun tanks, 1,654 of the latest Russian T-90s, of which 750 were manufactured under Russian license in last years and 2414 Soviet T-72Ms, modernized in India. In addition, 715 old Soviet T-55s and up to 1,100 equally old Vijayanta tanks of our own production (English Vickers Mk1) are in storage.

Other armored vehicles Indian ground forces, unlike tanks, are generally very outdated. There are 255 Soviet BRDM-2, 100 English Ferret armored vehicles, 700 Soviet BMP-1 and 1100 BMP-2 (another 500 will be manufactured in India), 700 Czechoslovak OT-62 and OT-64 armored personnel carriers, 165 South African Casspir armored vehicles ", 80 British FV432 armored personnel carriers. Of all the listed equipment, only the BMP-2 can be considered new, and very conditionally. In addition, 200 very old Soviet BTR-50 and 817 BTR-60 are in storage.

Indian artillery also outdated for the most part. There are 100 Catapult self-propelled guns of our own design (130-mm M-46 howitzer on the chassis of the Vijayanta tank; another 80 such self-propelled guns are in storage), 80 English Abbotts (105 mm), 110 Soviet 2S1 (122 mm). Towed guns - more than 4.3 thousand in the army, more than 3 thousand in storage. Mortars - about 7 thousand. But there are no modern examples among them. MLRS - 150 Soviet BM-21 (122 mm), 80 own Pinaka (214 mm), 62 Russian Smerch (300 mm). Of all the Indian artillery systems, only the Pinaka and Smerch MLRS can be considered modern.It is armed with 250 Russian Kornet ATGMs and 13 Namika self-propelled ATGMs (Nag ATGMs of our own design on the BMP-2 chassis). In addition, there are several thousand French ATGMs “Milan”, Soviet and Russian “Malyutka”, “Konkurs”, “Fagot”, “Sturm”.

Military air defense includes 45 batteries (180 launchers) of the Soviet Kvadrat air defense system, 80 Soviet Osa air defense systems, 400 Strela-1, 250 Strela-10, 18 Israeli Spider, 25 British Tigercat. Also in service are 620 Soviet Strela-2 and 2000 Igla-1 MANPADS, 92 Russian Tunguska air defense missile systems, 100 Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka, 2720 anti-aircraft guns(800 Soviet ZU-23, 1920 Swedish L40/70). Of all the air defense equipment, only the Spider air defense system and the Tunguska air defense system are modern; the Osa and Strela-10 air defense systems and the Igla-1 MANPADS can be considered relatively new.

Ground-based air defense includes 25 squadrons (at least 100 launchers) of the Soviet S-125 air defense system, at least 24 Osa air defense systems, 8 squadrons of its own Akash air defense system (64 launchers).

Army aviation is armed with about 300 helicopters, almost all of them locally produced.The Indian Air Force includes the Commands: Western, Central, South-Western, Eastern, Southern Training, Logistics. INThe Air Force has 3 squadrons of OTR "Prithvi-2" (18 launchers in each) with a firing range of 250 km, can carry conventional and nuclear charges.

Strike aircraft includes 107 Soviet MiG-27 bombers and 157 British Jaguar attack aircraft (114 IS, 11 IM, 32 combat training IT). All of these aircraft, built under license in India, are obsolete.

Fighter aircraft is based on the latest Russian Su-30MKI, built under license in India. There are already 272 of these aircraft in service. As stated above, they can carry cruise missile"Brahmos". Also quite modern are 74 Russian MiG-29 (including 9 combat training UBs; 1 more in storage), 9 own Tejas and 48 French Mirage-2000 (38 N, 10 combat training TN) . 230 MiG-21 fighters remain in service (146 bis, 47 MF, 37 combat training U and UM), also built in India under Soviet license. Instead of the MiG-21, it was planned to purchase 126 French Rafale fighters, in addition, 144 5th generation FGFA fighters would be built in India.

The Air Force operates 5 AWACS aircraft (3 Russian A-50, 2 Swedish ERJ-145), 3 American Gulfstream-4 electronic reconnaissance aircraft, 6 Russian Il-78 tankers, about 300 transport aircraft (including 17 Russian Il-76, 5 newest American S-17 (there will be from 5 to 13 more) and 5 S-130J), about 250 training aircraft.The Air Force is armed with 30 combat helicopters (24 Russian Mi-35s, 4 own Rudras and 2 LCHs), 360 multi-purpose and transport helicopters.

The Indian Navy includes three Commands - Western (Bombay), Southern (Cochin), Eastern (Vishakhapatnam).

There is 1 SSBN "Arihant" of its own construction with 12 SLBMs K-15 (range - 700 km), it is planned to build 3 more. However, due to the short range of the missiles, these boats cannot be considered full-fledged SSBNs. The Chakra SSN (Russian Nerpa SSN Project 971) is on lease.There are 9 more Russian submarines of Project 877 in service (another such boat burned down and sank in its own base) and 4 German Project 209/1500. There are 9 newest French Scorpene-class submarines.The Indian Navy has 2 aircraft carriers: Viraat (formerly English Hermes) and Vikramaditya (formerly Soviet Admiral Gorshkov). Two of its own Vikrant-class aircraft carriers are being built.There are 9 destroyers: 5 Rajput class (Soviet project 61), 3 own Delhi class and 1 Calcutta class (2-3 more Calcutta class destroyers will be built).There are 6 newest Russian-built frigates of the Talvar type (project 11356) and 3 even more modern, own-built Shivalik type frigates in service. Three frigates each of the Brahmaputra and Godavari types, built in India according to British designs, remain in service.The Navy has the newest corvette "Kamorta" (there will be from 4 to 12), 4 corvettes of the "Kora" type, 4 of the "Khukri" type, 4 of the "Abhay" type (Soviet project 1241P).There are 12 Veer-class missile boats (Soviet Project 1241R) in service.All destroyers, frigates and corvettes (except Abhay) are armed with modern Russian and Russian-Indian SLCMs and anti-ship missiles "Brahmos", "Caliber", X-35.

The Navy and Coast Guard operate up to 150 patrol ships and patrol boats. Among them are 6 ships of the Sakanya class, which can carry the Prithvi-3 ballistic missile (range 350 km). These are the world's only surface combatants with ballistic missiles.The Indian Navy has a very small mine-sweeping force. They consist of only 7 Soviet minesweepers of Project 266M.

The landing forces include the Jalashva DVKD (American Austin type), 5 old Polish TDK Project 773 (3 more in storage), 5 own Magar type TDK. At the same time, India does not have Marine Corps, there is only a group of naval special forces.

In service with naval aviation there are 63 carrier-based fighters - 45 MiG-29K (including 8 combat training MiG-29KUB), 18 Harriers (14 FRS, 4 T). The MiG-29Ks are designed for the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier and the Vikrant-class aircraft carriers under construction, and the Harriers for the Viraat.Anti-submarine aircraft - 5 old Soviet Il-38 and 7 Tu-142M (1 more in storage), 3 newest American P-8I (there will be 12).There are 52 German Do-228 patrol aircraft, 37 transport aircraft, 12 HJT-16 training aircraft.Naval aviation also has 12 Russian Ka-31 AWACS helicopters, 41 anti-submarine helicopters (18 Soviet Ka-28 and 5 Ka-25, 18 British Sea King Mk42V), about 100 multi-purpose and transport helicopters.

In general, the Indian Armed Forces have enormous combat potential and significantly exceed the potential of their traditional enemy Pakistan. However, now India's main enemy is China, whose allies are Pakistan, as well as Myanmar and Bangladesh, which border India to the east. This makes India's geopolitical position very difficult, and its military potential, paradoxically, insufficient.

Cooperation with Russia

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in 2000-2014, Russia provided up to 75% of India's weapons. As of 2019, Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation is still exclusive. It’s not even that India has been one of the largest buyers for several years now Russian weapons. Moscow and Delhi have been jointly developing weapons for many years, and unique ones at that, such as the Brahmos missile or the FGFA fighter. The leasing of nuclear power plants has no analogues in world practice. submarines(only the USSR and India had a similar experience in the late 80s). The Indian Armed Forces currently operate more T-90 tanks, Su-30 fighters, and X-35 anti-ship missiles than in all other countries of the world combined, including Russia itself.

At the same time, alas, not everything is rosy in relations between Russia and India. In the near future, Moscow's share in the Indian arms market may decrease from 51.8 to 33.9% due to Delhi's desire to diversify suppliers. As opportunities and ambitions grow, so do Indian demands. Hence the scandals in the field of military-technical cooperation, most of which are Russia's own fault. The epic with the sale of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya especially stands out against this background.However, it must be admitted that such scandals arise in Delhi not only with Moscow. In particular, during the implementation of both major Indian-French contracts (on the Scorpen submarine and on the Rafale fighters), the same thing is happening as with the Vikramaditya - a multiple increase in the price of products and a significant delay by the French in terms of their production. In the case of the Rafales, this led to the termination of the contract.

Why does India need so many weapons? Geopolitics

India is an ideal ally of Russia. There are no contradictions; on the contrary, there are great traditions of cooperation in the past and today. Our main opponents are common - Islamic terrorism and the dictates of the Anglo-Saxon world.

But India has two more enemies - China and Pakistan. And all this, through the efforts of England, which, when leaving the colonies, always left “coals in the fire.” Russia is trying to build good relations with all states, forgetting about conflicts in the past. This has been characteristic of the Russian state for centuries. India does not at all want to forgive the grievances of the past, much less forget them. At the same time, it is interesting that Beijing remains Delhi’s largest trading partner with a trade turnover of almost$ 90 billion in 2017-2018, which is more than the US and China.

India's main adversary is Pakistan, with which there have been contradictions since the formation of two states in 1947. The second adversary is China. And the worst-case scenario for India is an alliance between Pakistan and China in military-political cooperation. Thus, after the February events in Kashmir between India and Pakistan in 2019, the Pakistani army received one hundred SD-10A air-to-air missiles from China. PChina also maintains close economic ties with Pakistan, implementing a number of joint economic projects. Some of them directly affect Indian interests. For example, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), connecting Chinese territory with the Pakistani port of Gwadar, passes through Gilgit-Baltistan, the disputed territory of India and Pakistan in Kashmir. Delhi does not have any leverage over CPEC.

Moreover, in 2017, Pakistan leased a 152-hectare site in the Gwadar commercial port to China Overseas Port Holding. For China, this is an opportunity to establish a naval base in the Arabian Sea, which dashes the Indian dream of becoming the dominant maritime power in the Indian Ocean.

If we add to this the contradictions with China over security issues in Afghanistan, the mutual buildup of missile capabilities, disputes over India’s nuclear status and long-standing territorial disputes (Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh), it becomes clear why some of the principles of “panch” no longer work between the countries sila" (peaceful coexistence).

India is confident that China is gradually surrounding the country with a chain of military bases or military infrastructure facilities, including the mentioned port in Pakistan and another port in Sri Lanka, military facilities in the Himalayas, as well as railways in pro-Chinese Nepal. The active penetration of the Chinese into neighboring Bangladesh and Myanmar also gives India a feeling of blockade.

In the summer of 2017, tension between countries reached its limit. In June, China sent military engineers to build a highway on the Doklam plateau, the crossroads of Indian-Chinese-Bhutanese territorial claims. The plateau is of strategic importance for India as it provides access to the Siliguri corridor, which connects the bulk of the country with seven northeastern states. Delhi even sent troops into the territory of Bhutan, and as a result, the “strange war” ended with the return of the status quo.

Against this background, BRICS looks like a strange formation in which Moscow is trying to reconcile the two largest powers on the planet in terms of population and economic potential. Delhi does not need an alliance with Beijing. After all, China is not only the main geopolitical enemy, but also an economic competitor. India needs an alliance against Beijing. It is in this format that it would be happy to be friends with Moscow, but Russia does not agree to cool relations with China for the sake of India, and this is reasonable.