With the J-20 and J-35 combined, China's formidable air fleet becomes lethal; how can the Indian air force rapidly modernize?

By: RGK Kapoor, Air Marshal (R)

After more than four years of military standoff, the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) appears to be normalizing as India and China disengage in the Depsang and Demchok areas of the Ladakh sector. Near-term stability on the LAC is probably going to be provided by disengagement followed by de-escalation, which is being discussed between China and India.

On the other hand, the borders are still stable despite a recent spike in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

From World War II to the current wars in Russia and Ukraine and Israel's war against Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iran, airpower has been essential to every fight.

Due to the technological sensitivity of air power, air forces must constantly modernize. This was demonstrated during the most recent Israeli airstrikes against Iran, where Israel used cutting-edge aircraft and weaponry to destroy specific targets without losing any aircraft.


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In every conflict India has fought since gaining its independence, including the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, air power has been crucial. Every country has made significant investments to modernize its air forces.

Under the Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter (NGAD) project, the United States is already working on the sixth-generation fighter aircraft while the majority of contemporary air forces develop the fifth-generation models.

With a sanctioned strength of 42 fighter squadrons, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is currently down to 31 squadrons. Within the next ten years, the current fleets—aside from the Rafale, SU-30 MKI, and LCA Tejas—will probably be phased out. The IAF has been reluctant to modernize, and it requires the necessary boost to keep up with the changing threats.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF), like the USAF, has made significant investments to stay ahead of its competitors and up to date with technology. The Air Force ought to be able to dissuade its rivals both locally and internationally with its offensive and defensive capabilities.