Overview
- Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Saturday the IAF is down to about 29–30 active fighter squadrons against an authorised 42 and needs roughly 36–40 aircraft a year to stop the decline and begin rebuilding capacity.
- The Tejas Mk‑1A programme is facing supply‑chain and testing bottlenecks, notably delayed GE F404 engines and unresolved radar‑to‑missile integration, leaving HAL with ready airframes but too few engines to deliver jets on schedule.
- Negotiations continue on a proposed 114‑aircraft MRFA (Rafale) package with France and the government is aiming to finalise the contract by the end of the current financial year to start local Rafale production.
- The IAF still prioritises the indigenous AMCA fifth‑generation project but has said it will consider foreign fifth‑generation options if AMCA slips, noting Russia has offered Su‑57s though no decision has been taken.
- Singh urged rapid action on production and technology—pushing AI augmentation, an indigenous fighter‑engine programme, and expanded drones and loitering munitions integrated into current units—to restore readiness as older types retire and regional air forces modernise.