India must look beyond increasing its fighter jet fleet and focus on long-range missiles, drones, advanced air defence systems and modern weapons to prepare for future conflicts, according to an assessment of the country's changing military requirements.
In a discussion with Hindustan Times Senior Anchor Aayesha Varma on Point Blank, Executive Editor Shishir Gupta said fighter aircraft remained essential to India's defence capabilities but their effectiveness would increasingly depend on the weapons they carry and their ability to operate against sophisticated enemy air defence systems.
The assessment comes amid concerns over the Indian Air Force's declining fighter squadron strength and the growing use of missiles, unmanned aircraft and other long-range weapons in conflicts across the world.
๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ท๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh has called for the induction of approximately 38 to 40 fighter aircraft annually to address the IAF's shrinking operational strength.
The force currently has fewer than 30 fighter squadrons against a long-standing benchmark of approximately 42.5 squadrons.
Gupta said the shortage required attention but cautioned that increasing aircraft numbers alone would not guarantee an advantage in modern warfare.
He argued that fighter jets must be equipped with weapons capable of striking enemy targets from considerable distances without entering heavily defended airspace.
Such weapons, commonly known as stand-off weapons, allow aircraft to launch attacks while remaining outside the effective range of some hostile defence systems.
๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ
The assessment emphasised that India's long-term defence planning must account for China's expanding military capabilities rather than concentrating primarily on Pakistan.
China's investment in advanced fighter aircraft, long-range missiles and integrated air defence networks has changed the operational challenges facing the Indian military.
Gupta said India needed to consider whether its fighter aircraft could operate effectively against weapons capable of engaging targets from hundreds of kilometres away.
He also stressed the importance of protecting airbases and other military infrastructure against missile and drone attacks.
According to the assessment, the objective should be to build a combination of aircraft, missiles and defensive systems capable of imposing significant costs on an adversary and discouraging aggression.
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ
Recent conflicts involving Ukraine, Iran and Houthi forces have demonstrated the growing importance of drones and missiles in challenging militarily stronger opponents.
Unmanned systems can target military installations and critical infrastructure without exposing pilots to enemy fire.
They can also create financial pressure on defending forces when relatively inexpensive drones are intercepted using costly missiles.
Gupta, however, cautioned against replacing conventional fighter aircraft entirely with unmanned systems.
He said India required a balanced approach combining manned aircraft, combat drones, loitering munitions and long-range missiles.
Such a combination would provide the military with different options depending on the nature of the target and the capabilities of the adversary.
๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ
The discussion also highlighted the need for a layered air defence network capable of countering threats ranging from small drones to cruise and ballistic missiles.
Gupta referred to systems such as Akash and the Russian-origin S-400, alongside indigenous interceptor development, as components of a wider defensive structure.
He said the effectiveness and cost of interception were important considerations, particularly when inexpensive attacking weapons could force defenders to expend much more expensive missiles.
Protecting civilian infrastructure, industrial facilities and economic assets would also be essential during prolonged conflicts.
The assessment suggested that missile defence should be treated as a central element of national security rather than merely a supporting capability for conventional military operations.
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐
India's ongoing missile development programmes were identified as important to improving the effectiveness of its existing fighter aircraft.
These include efforts to develop a lighter version of the BrahMos cruise missile, the Rudram anti-radiation missile programme and longer-range variants of the Astra air-to-air missile.
The programmes are intended to expand the distances at which Indian aircraft can engage enemy fighters, radar installations and other military targets.
Gupta argued that improving the weapons carried by existing aircraft could provide substantial operational benefits without depending exclusively on the acquisition of additional fighters.
He also emphasised the role of conventional missiles, submarines and underwater drones in strengthening India's overall military capabilities.
๐๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ต-๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ท๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต
The discussion examined whether acquiring advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft would adequately address India's emerging security challenges.
Gupta acknowledged the advantages of stealth technology and advanced aircraft but said their acquisition alone could not provide a complete solution.
With defence expenditure subject to budgetary limits, India would need to balance investments in expensive aircraft against requirements for missiles, unmanned combat systems and air defence infrastructure.
The assessment called for an integrated approach in which advanced fighters, long-range weapons, drones and defensive systems operate together.
The central argument was that future military strength would depend not simply on the number of aircraft available but on the ability to detect threats, strike from greater distances, protect critical infrastructure and sustain operations against technologically advanced opponents.