Indian Air Force Day 2021: Check List of Active Indian Military Aircraft

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is celebrating its 89th anniversary on October 8, Friday. The day will witness a scintillating air display by various aircraft including heritage, modern and frontline fighter jets in a parade-cum-investiture ceremony at the IAF's base in Hindan, Ghaziabad. The spellbinding aerobic display will commence with skydivers of the Akash Ganga team dropping out of an AN-32 aircraft in colourful canopies. It would be followed by performances by 47 Squadron deploying Mig-29 UPG aircraft, 116 Helicopter Unit with the Advanced Light Helicopter Mark IV Rudra and 2255 Squadron Det Air Force.

On the occasion of IAF's 89th anniversary, here is the full list of active aircraft of the Indian Air Force, as per the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft-- 

1. Aerospatiale Alouette III 
2. Antonov An-32 (Cline) 
3. BAe Hawk
4. Beriev A-50
5. Boeing (Hughes) AH-64 Apache
6. Boeing 737 (Series)
7. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III 
8. Boeing P-8 Poseidon
9. Dassault Mirage 2000 
10. Dornier Do 228
11. HAL Dhruv 
12. HAL HJT-16 Kiran 
13. HAL LCH 
14. HAL Tejas LCA 
15. IAI Searcher
16. Ilyushin IL-76
17. Ilyushin IL-78 
18. Kamov Ka-226 Sergei
19. Lockheed Martin C-130 J Super Hercules
20. Mikoyan MiG-29 (Fulcrum) 
21. Mikoyan Gurevich MiG21 
22. Mil Mi-17 (Hip-H)
23. Mil Mi-26 (Halo) 
24. Mil Mi-35 (Hind-E) 
25. Mil Mi-8 (Hip)
26. SEPECAT Jaguar 
27. Sukhoi Su-30 (Flanker-C)

List of aircraft in IAF's fighter jet fleet

Out of the 27 active aircraft, here are the leading jets that are a part of the IAF's dynamic fighter fleet-

• MiG-21

The MiG 21 is one of the most known fighter jets across the world and has served in over 60 countries in the last six decades. Owing to the increased number of accidents that the fighter plane has witnessed in recent times, India is planning to gradually retire the last of its MiG 21s over the next 3-4 years. 

• Sukhoi Su-30MKI

Sukhoi Su-30MKI is one of the most advanced fighter jets in India's possession and is the current backbone and frontline fighter of the IAF. The aircraft is used as the primary air-to-air and air-to-ground strike machine. 

• Mirage-2000

The Mirage-2000, first commissioned in 1985, is one of the most versatile and deadliest aircraft. In India, the aircraft has been dubbed as 'Vajra' which refers to the thunderbolt weapon wielded by God Indra. Mirage 2000 aircraft played a crucial role in India's victory over the iconic Tiger Hill during the Kargil War. 

• HAL Tejas LCA

In the 1980s, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) started the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme to replace the ageing Soviet-sourced MiG-21. In January 2021, the Defence Ministry signed a Rs 48,00 cr deal with HAL to acquire 83 LCA-Tejas Mk1A aircrafts 

• SEPECAT Jaguar

The SEPECAT Jaguar or 'Shamsher' is a fighter jet jointly developed by British Royal Air Force and French Air Force. Currently, it is only being used by the Indian Air Force in an upgraded version and serves as its primary ground attack aircraft.

• MiG 29

The MiG 29 was produced by the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the 1970s to counter US F-Series planes like F-15 and F-16. In India, the MiG29 is known as 'Baaz' (Hawk) and forms the second line of defence after the Sukhoi Su-30MKI.

• Rafale

The induction of French-made 4.5 generation Rafale aircraft is being witnessed as a gamechanger for India. The twin-engine jets are capable of a diverse range of missions from ground and sea attacks to air defence and nuclear strike deterrence.
India had signed an agreement with France to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.