A total of 272 on order, with a

possible order of 40 more.[3] All

Sukhoi Su-

Russia

30MKI

India

Multirole air
Jet

superiority

aircraft to be upgraded to Super

Su-30MKI

242

[2]

fighter

Sukhoi standards.which could be

fitted with the supercruise brahmos
missiles. All aircraft to be inducted by
2020.[4]

2 aircraft delivered with 19 more on

order for Mk.1 with IOC-2 standard.
FOC received in 2016. Mk.1A is in
design stage with plans to finalize
design by 2017 and production by
Mk.1
HAL Tejas

India

Jet

Multirole fighter

2019. Total planned numbers are 20

2[5]

Mk.1 and 100 Mk.1A in five

squadrons.[6] In June 2016 IAF will

Trainer

make its first squadron complete with

4 tejas LCA mk1 . 40 Mk.1 aircraft to
be inducted by 2020, with a further
80 Mk.1A aircraft to be inducted by
2028.[4]

MiG-29
Mikoyan
MiG-29

(9.12B)
USSR

Jet

Air superiority fighter. Being

59[1]

upgraded to MiG-29UPG standard,

Fighter

the first six were upgraded in Russia.

MiG-

Remaining aircraft to be upgraded by

10[7]

HAL. To be retired by 2030.[4][8]

29UPG

Dassault
Mirage 2000

MikoyanGurevich
MiG-21

France

Jet

Multirole fighter

M2000H

39[1]

M2000TH

9[1]

M2000I/TI

2[9]

Being upgraded.[citation needed] To be retired

by 2030.[4]

MiG-21MF ("Type 88") and one

MiG21Biso
USSR
India

Jet

Fighter

squadron of upgraded MiG-21 Bisons

245

[1]

132 aircraft to be retired by 2022.[4][12]

MiG21MF

SEPECAT

UK

Jaguar

India

Jet

to be retired in 2017.[10][11] Remaining

[13]

M/S

115[1]

30[1][14]

Attack

To be replaced by the HAL Tejas.

Service-life upgrades to be
completed by 2020.[12] Also operated
in a naval strike role.[15] To be retired
by 2030.[4]
All non-upgraded aircraft retired by

MiG-27
Bahadur

USSR

Jet

Attack

MiG-27ML

120[1]

March 2016; remaining aircraft to be

retired by 2018. To be replaced by
HAL Tejas.[4][12][16]

C-17
Globemaster

USA

Jet

Strategic
transport

C-17

10[1]

Total 10 ordered with option for 6

more. Ordered only 3 later with
delays in clearing funds for further 3.

When funds were

cleared, Boeing had only 1 more on
its production line.[17]
Ilyushin Il-76
Candid

USSR

Jet

USA

Propeller

Hercules
Hawker
Siddeley HS
748

transport

Il-76MD

17[1]
7 more on order.[1] This is inclusive of

C-130J
Super

Strategic

Tactical

C-130J-

transport

30SH

1 additional aircraft ordered in August

5[1]

2014 to replace the loss of a crashed

C-130J.[18]

UK

Propeller

India

Tactical
transport

HS 748-100

59[1]

An-32

60[1]

An-32RE

40

To be replaced with 56 EADS CASA

C-295 aircraft.[19]
All to be upgraded to An-32RE

Antonov An32 Cline

USSR

Propeller

Tactical
transport

standard by 2016 (60 to be upgraded

locally and 40 upgraded in Ukraine).

[20]

To be eventually replaced
by UAC/HAL Il-214.[21]

Dornier Do

Germany

228

India

Propeller

Utility transport

Do 228-201
737-200

Boeing 737

USA

Jet

VIP transport

ADV

135,145

Ilyushin Il-78
MKI

Brazil

Jet

14 more ordered in February 2015.[22]

1
[23]

737-700

Embraer

40[1]

ERJ 135

145

VIP transport

Russia[Note 1]

Jet

Aerial refueling

IL-78MKI

7[1]

Russia[Note 2]

Jet

AEW&C

A-50E/I

3[1]

Beriev A50EI

2 more on order.[1]

"Phalcon"
Embraer
ERJ-145

2 currently undergoing testing by

Brazil

[Note 3]

Jet

AEW&C

DRDO and IAF. 1 more to be

AEWCS
Gulfstream
III

delivered.[24]
USA

Bombardier

Canada[Note

5000

4]

IAI Astra

Israel

BAE Hawk

UK
India

Jet

Electronic
warfare

IV SRA-4
Global

Operated by the R&AW, India's

3[1]

external intelligence agency.

Jet

Reconnaissance

Jet

Reconnaissance

G100 Astra

2[1]

Jet

Trainer

Hawk 132

90

5000

2[25]

Operated by the R&AW, India's

external intelligence agency.

15 more to be delivered.[26] Deliveries

[26][27]

expected to be complete by the end

of 2016.[28]

HAL HJT-16
Kiran

Pilatus PC-7

Mil Mi-35
Hind-E

HAL Rudra

HJT-16
India

Switzerlan
d

USSR

India

India

Helicopter
Mil Mi-26
Halo

Trainer

81

USSR

eventually be replaced by BAE Hawk

(20 Hawks currently on order).[26][29]

HJT-16II

HAL Light
Combat

Jet

To be phased out by 2017 and

[1]

All aircraft delivered by November

Propeller

Trainer

Mk II

75

2015.[30] A further 106 may be

ordered.[31]

Helicopte
r
Helicopte
r
Helicopte
r
Helicopte
r

Few donated to Afghanistan Armed

Attack

Mi-35

20[1]

Forces. To be eventually replaced

by Boeing AH-64E Apache.[32]

Attack

ALH-WSI

Attack

LCH

Transport

Mi-26

3[1]

Total of 38 on order.

65 on order.[1] 3 prototypes delivered.

[33]

Will be complemented by Boeing CH47 Chinook of which 15 are ordered.

Mi-8
Mil Mi-8
USSR
Mi-17

Helicopte
r

Transport

Mi-17

400+[34]

Additional 48 Mi-17V5s may be

ordered.[35]

Mi-17V5
HAL Dhruv
HAL
Cheetah

HAL Chetak

India

India

India

Helicopte
r
Helicopte
r

Helicopte
r

Utility

Dhruv

66[36]

Utility

Cheetal

14[1]

65 more on order.[1]

SA316B
Utility

74[1]
SA319

Indian Naval Air Arm[edit]

Further information: Indian Naval Air Arm and List of Indian naval aircraft

Type

Mikoyan
MiG-29K

Origin

Russia

Class

Jet

Role

Multirole

Version

Number[
1]

Notes

MiG-29K
39[37]

fighter

6 more on order.[37]

MiG-29KUB
Boeing P-8
Poseidon
Tupolev Tu-

USA

Jet

Patrol

USSR

Propeller

Patrol

P-8I
Neptune
Tu-142M

8[1]
8[1]

4 more to be delivered.[1] Possibly up to

12 more to be ordered.[1]
Being modernised in Russia.[38]

Type

Origin

Class

Role

Version

Number[

Notes

1]

142
All five Sea Dragon variants are being
Ilyushin Il-38

USSR

Propeller

Patrol

Il-38SD

[1]

overhauled, and will include a further

minor upgrade.[39]

Dornier Do
228

Do 228-101

German
y

Propeller

Utility

India

25[1]
Do 228-201

BrittenNorman

UK

Propeller

Utility

BN-2

8[1]

UK

Jet

Trainer

Hawk 132

11[40]

India

Jet

Trainer

Helicopte

Airborne

early warning

Islander
BAE Hawk
HAL HJT-16
Kiran
Kamov Ka31 Helix-B
Kamov Ka28 (Helix-A)

Russia

Russia

Helicopte
r

Antisubmarine
warfare

20[1]

6 more to be delivered. A total of 17 on

order.[40]
To be replaced by the new HAL HJT-36
Sitara.

14[1]

Ka-27PL
(Helix-A)

14[1]

AntiWestland
Sea King

UK

Helicopte
r

submarine

Mk42B

22[1]

Mk42C

5[1]

UH-3H

6[1]

warfare

Transport
Sikorsky SH3 Sea King
HAL Dhruv

HAL Chetak

USA

India

India

Helicopte
r
Helicopte
r

Helicopte
r

Transport

Utility

8[1]
SA316B

Utility

Army Aviation Corps[edit]

Further information: Army Aviation Corps (India)

30[1]
SA319

16 more on order.[1]

Type

HAL Rudra

HAL Light Combat

Helicopter

HAL Dhruv

Origi

Class

India

India

India

Helicopte
r

Helicopte
r

Helicopte
r

Versio

Role

Attack

ALH-WSI

Attack

LCH

Utility

Cheetal & Lancer

India

Helicopte
r

Notes

20

40 more on order.[41]

Prototypes are
built .

78[36]

Utility

HAL Cheetah,

Number[1]

Cheetah

23[1]

Utility

Cheetal

4[1]

Counter-

Lancer

12

Chetak

4[1]

114 on order.[1]

Total of 151 on order.[1]

insurgency
HAL Chetak &
Chetan

India

Helicopte
r

Utility

Being withdrawn from service

and replaced by HAL Dhruv.

Indian Coast Guard[edit]

Further information: Indian Coast Guard

Type

Dornier Do 228

Origin

India
Germany

Class

Role

Version

Propeller

Patrol

Do 228-101

HAL Dhruv

India

Helicopter

Utility

HAL Chetak

India

Helicopter

Utility

Number

38

4[42]

Chetak

Notes

16 more ordered in July 2014.[42]

18

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles[edit]

Note: The Indian Armed Forces operate a number of Unmanned aerial vehicles split between the three service branches.

Type

Origi

Clas

Role

Versio

Numbe

Notes

A small UCAV that homes into enemy radar

IAI Harpy

Israel

UAV

Attack

5+

emissions - destroying both itself and the enemy

radar. In service with Indian Air Force.

A small UCAV that homes into enemy radar

IAI Harop

Israel

UAV

Attack

10

emissions - destroying both itself and the enemy

radar. In service with Indian Air Force.

IAI Heron

Israel

Heron I

UAV

Heron II

50+

In service with Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. 15

more ordered in December 2013.

Searcher
IAI
Searcher

Israel

II

UAV

Searcher

100+

In service with the Indian Army.

12+

In service with the Indian Army.

DRDO
Nishant

DRDO
Lakshya

India

UAV

India

UAV

Aerial
target

39

A small target drone in service with the Indian Air

Force and Indian Navy.[43]

See also[edit]

List of historical aircraft of the Indian Air Force

List of Indian naval aircraft

Currently active military equipment by country

Military of India

Indian Air Force

Indian Naval Air Arm

Future of the Indian Air Force

Border Security Force - who operate their own fleet of aircraft for security