Click to play videoThe Indian Air Force (IAF) is guarding the country with less. It has 32 flying squadrons when it must have 39.
"Unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the reduction in Indian Air Force's force levels, the nation will for the first time in its history lose the conventional military edge over Pakistan". That is what Air Marshal S P Tyagi said in a letter to the Government in September 2006 when he was the IAF chief.
Seven months after the letter was out, the Government acted swiftly and gave its permission for the acquisition of 40 Sukhoi M30s. The jets could enter service before the end of 2009.
Other programs like the deal to purchase the 126 multi-role aircraft and the light combat aircraft could take several years before they fructify.
“Obviously aeroplanes are not something you can buy off the shelf. We are short in numbers,” says Tyagi. “If I am to lose a squadron of aircraft because it is getting outdated, I should have started the process of replacement well in advance.”
The depleting force levels could affect the capability of the Air Force to carry out wide-scale operations.
The MiG-29, which was thought to be one of India's most potent weapon, is a defective aircraft. The stunning disclosure that the MiG-29 is structurally flawed was made by the Defence Minister in Parliament a few days ago.
The MiG 21s have already lived their life. Only six of the 13 squadrons will remain in service after 2012. The MiG 27s are being upgraded and the Mirage-2000s also due for upgradation.
The IAF still has an edge over its Pakistani counterpart but its dominance of the sub-continent's airspace is certainly under threat.
Navy under water
The Indian Navy is no better. Delays and upgrades that take forever have meant that a frontline submarine is today waiting to be put to water for years.
INS Sindhukirti, a frontline Kilo class attack submarine of the Navy, has been in dry dock at Vizag for a refit programme for close to five years.
Hindustan Shipyards, a government-owned contractor with little experience in submarine upgrades, will take at least another five years before the submarine can be put to water again.
Russia took just two years each to upgrade six similar Kilo class submarines for the Indian Navy. The Indian Government insists that it's building national capability with in-house upgrades.
“That kind of expertise didn’t exist in India before and this is for the first time we are trying it out here,” says Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta.
It took a recent Comptroller and Auditor General report to reveal that the Indian Navy's submarine arm faces a crisis of numbers.
Only seven of India’s 16 submarines are available for combat at any time. Ten of these 16 aging submarines will be due for phase-out by 2012.
To maintain current numbers, one submarine needs to be inducted every two years but there has been no induction since 2001 and India's only submarine-making facility in Mumbai was kept idle for 12 years.
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