Indian Air Force News

Through a strategic technical support agreement with French defence giant MBDA, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will soon bypass long foreign repair cycles. This will ensure its frontline Dassault Rafale and Mirage-2000 fleets remain combat-ready with domestic support.

The missile is regarded as the longest-range air-to-air missile ever exported by Russia and is matched only by China’s PL-17 and the American AIM-174 in terms of range.

On May 7, 2025, the world witnessed massive fireballs illuminate the night sky across several locations deep inside Pakistan as India’s BrahMos cruise missiles struck terror camps and military infrastructure. 

With taxi trials approaching and first flight preparations underway, Tejas Mk2 is now moving from development to operational reality. This brings India’s next indigenous fighter closer to take-off.

Indian Air Force may soon get one of the world’s most precise missile systems in its kitty, and that may not please Pakistan. According to defence news reports, Russia has approved the sale of lethal R-37 missiles to India. The Indian Air Force plans to integrate it with Sukhoi-30MKI and if it happens, there will be no escape zone for those in range of the missile. India is planning to buy around 300 R-37M missiles. The weapon often described as a “sniper in the sky” could redefine beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat by allowing Indian pilots to strike targets hundreds of kilometers away—well before the enemy even knows what hit them.

Operation Sindoor: The four-day conflict that followed in May after the April 22 Pahalgam attack is being studied across the world today. 

The delay in the delivery of the F404-IN20 engines by GE has significantly impacted India’s dream of Tejas squadrons.

GE Aerospace will provide technical expertise, training, support staff, and ensure the supply of necessary spare parts and specialised equipment required for smooth operations.

With tensions across the world are on the rise, India is accelerating its military readiness. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme has achieved an important milestone.

The move is aimed at boosting India’s striking power and strengthening defense self-reliance.

The IAF presently operates a total of 36 Tejas Mk1 jets, which include 32 single-seater light combat aircraft and four trainer variants. This makes the fleet a complete squadron of 36 Tejas Mk1s, which is ready to fulfill a range of operational roles once cleared.

ASRAAM is a fourth-generation European short-range air-to-air missile, which is known for its precision and advanced technology. It has a range exceeding 25 kilometres.

The Defence Ministry has clears four squadrons, which are expected to field between 60 and 80 stealth drones.

The MiG-21 served the Indian Air Force for 62 years. In September 2025, it was officially retired.

With an aim to strengthen long-range precision strike capabilities, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is exploring the acquisition of Israel’s ROCKS air-launched quasi-ballistic missile and evaluating local production. The move gained momentum after successful tests of the missile from Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets.

The United States offered India the single-seat F-35. Russia is now proposing the Su-57M1E twin-seat fighter with AESA radar and source code access, reviving the FGFA programme from which New Delhi exited in 2018.

Drones and loitering munitions are the advanced facets of modern warfare. The ongoing conflicts in the world - be it the Russia-Ukraine war or the US-Iran battle - have shown increased use of drones to target high-value targets. Drones fly at low altitude compared to missiles. They have low manufacturing cost and mass production is easy. These are some reasons why the world is moving fast towards these aerial weapons. During Operation Sindoor, India has extensively used Harop drones for locating the Pakistani air defence system and radars. Now, learning its lessons from global conflicts, India is inducting Sheshnaag-150 swarm drones into its fleets.  

Sheshnaag-150 is a strike drone just like Shahed, while Ghatak is an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) which can drop/fire weapons and return to the base. 

While India bjuys surveillance, transport and attack aircraft from the United States, but stays away from the American fighter jets. 

India is preparing for a major fighter aircraft acquisition that involves 114 Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation. The proposal has already been approved by the Defence Acquisition Council, and negotiations with the French side are in progress.

India is well aware that buying the F-35 will mean full dependence on America for even its operations and weapon integration challenges and thus, the IAF is more inclined towards the Su-57.

India stands at a critical juncture in modern warfare, facing global rivals who are rapidly adopting advanced fighter jets, drones, robotic systems, and space-enabled intelligence. To transform its armed forces into a faster, smarter, and self-reliant military, India must integrate intelligent platforms, cyber and space capabilities, and modern doctrine to stay ahead in the next military revolution.