A growing economic power, with the second highest defence budget after the United States, China understands the importance of air power and therefore has advanced state-of-the-art programmes in all domains. The unending border dispute and regional aspirations require the IAF to accelerate its modernisation drive.

As the Indian Air Force (IAF) enters its 82nd year in October, it is also the month when 51 years ago, India and China fought a border war. The year 2013 has been marked by Chinese border incursions. While the recent success of India’s 5,000-km range nuclear-capable Agni-V partially reduces the asymmetry with China, it is time to take stock of the ‘air balance’ between the two adversaries.

People’s Liberation Army Air Force

With 3,30,000 personnel and over 2,500 aircraft, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the world’s second largest air force, has operational experience in Korea and Vietnam. A growing economic power, with the second highest defence budget after the United States, China understands the importance of air power and therefore has advanced state-of-the-art programmes in all domains which include stealth fighter aircraft (J-20 and J-31), large military transport aircraft XianY-20, Il-76 based AWACS KJ-2000, KJ-200 AEW&C, WZ-10 attack helicopter and a 60,000-tonne aircraft carrier under construction. All this complemented with a large nuclear capable surface-to-surface intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force makes it a truly world-class air power.

The PLAAF of 1962 was equipped with aircraft from the USSR. Having split with its mentor in the 1960s, China initially reverse engineered Soviet aircraft designs. After the collapse of the USSR, Russia needed money and China was looking for technology. Hence, in the last two decades, both countries collaborated yet again. China is dependent on Europe and private players in the US for high-end technology. The PLAAF of coming decades will be dominated by a few hundred Su-30MK2, 200 J-11s, 200 J-10s and a growing number of fifth-generation Chinese stealth aircraft. It has close to 30 fighter/bomber divisions, equivalent to 100 squadrons, 50 aerial tankers and a sizeable number of Y-9, IL-76 and Y-20 transport aircraft and more than 600 helicopters including Mi-17, Z-15, and the latest WZ-10. China also has an arsenal of the Dong Feng series of ICBMs with 15,000-km range. The Chengdu and Lanzhou military regions confront India in the East and North respectively. Kashgar, Hotan, Gar Gunza, Gongkar (Lhasa), Kunming, Chengdu, Hoping, Bangda, Shinquanhe and Kongka are the major Chinese airfields poised against India. Being at high altitude, all airfields have long runways to cater to all types of aircraft. The People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force has another 450 aircraft, 300 of which are combat worthy.

The Indian Air Force

With 1,27,000 personnel and 1,370 aircraft, the IAF, the fourth largest in the world, gained initial operational experience in Burma when still under the British rule. It gained its spurs early after independence in 1948 when air power was directly responsible to save the Kashmir valley. The first modernisation phase of the IAF beginning late 1970s through the 1980s witnessed induction of Jaguar deep strike aircraft, MiG-29 air defence fighter, Mirage 2000 multi-role fighter, and the An-32 tactical and IL-76 strategic transport aircraft. A major transformation has taken place in the last decade with the induction of Su-30MKIs, upgraded MiG-27s, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG-29 and An-32 fleets. The induction of Lockheed Martin C-130J and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III has provided strategic reach. With induction of Mi-17V5 and the advanced light helicopter (ALH), the helicopter fleet is now over 300. Force multipliers like the IL-76-based airborne warning and control system (AWACS), IL-78 aerial tankers, the Heron and Searcher UAVs, the Harpy and Harop anti-radiation loiter systems have brought about a sea change in the IAF’s capability. The soon to be inducted fighter Dassault Rafale, Boeing Chinook heavy-lift helicopter and Apache attack helicopters will make the IAF a formidable entity. The IAF intends to enhance the combat fleet from the current 33 to 42 or more. A large number of surface-to-air weapon systems including the indigenous Akash are under procurement. The IAF is also modernising airfields including those in the northern and eastern sectors.

The PLAAF and the IAF are two formidable air forces of the two Asian nuclear neighbours, both having considerable spacebased capability and a viable anti-ballistic missile programme. But the PLAAF is over twice the size of IAF and is supported by an up-and-coming aircraft industry. The Chinese armed forces have an influence over policy and decision-making too. The unending border dispute and regional aspirations require the IAF to accelerate its modernisation drive. This becomes more important in view of risk of collusion between China and Pakistan forcing a twofront war. To understand the options with both the air forces and the challenges faced turn to Forum.