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List of active Indian military aircraft

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This article provides a list of active Indian military aircraft currently in service with the Indian Armed Forces, as well as aircraft on order. For a list of historical military aircraft used by the Indian military, see list of historical aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

Air Force

HAL Tejas at Exercise Tarang Shakti 2024
IAF Rafale take off from Dassault Aviation Facility, Merignac, France.
A Su-30MKI firing Brahmos ER
Netra AEW&C on Embraer ERJ 145 platform
C-17 Globemaster III in service
C-295 is replacing HS-748
HAL Prachand
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat Aircraft
Dassault Rafale France Multirole DH 8[1]
EH 28[1]
HAL Tejas India Multirole Mk.1 31[2][3]
Conversion trainer Mk.1 Trainer 4[4][5] Used for training; 14 more on order[6]
Multirole Mk.1A 73 on order, 97 more approved[6][7]
Sukhoi Su-30MKI Russia Multirole Su-30MKI Flanker H 259[8][9] 12 more cleared.[10]
Mikoyan MiG-29 Soviet Union Multirole Fulcrum 52[1][11][12] Including 12 MiG-29UPG.
Fulcrum B 7[1]
Dassault Mirage 2000 France Multirole -2000H 37[1]
-2000TH 10[1] Used for training.
SEPECAT Jaguar United Kingdom Attack IB 28[1] Used for training.
IS 79[1]
IM 8[1] Maritime strike aircraft carrying Sea Eagle missile.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Soviet Union Interceptor MiG-21 Bison 40[13] Being phased out.[14]
AEW&CS
Embraer R-99 Brazil AEW&C Netra Mk1 3[15] equipped with a Netra AEW&CS.
Beriev A-50 Soviet Union AEW&C A-50EI 3[15] equipped with the EL/W-2090 radar. 2 more planned.[16][17]
Reconnaissance
Boeing 707 United States SIGINT / ELINT 707-337C Phalcon 1[15] Operated by Aviation Research Centre (ARC) of R&AW.[18][19]
Global 5000 United States SIGINT / ELINT 2[15]
Gulfstream III United States ELINT SRA[20] 3[15]
Gulfstream G100 Israel surveillance 1125 Astra 2[15]
Tanker
Ilyushin Il-78 Soviet Union aerial refuelling Il-78MKI 6[15]
Transport
Boeing 777 United States VIP transport 777-300ER 2[21] Used as Air India One for presidential flight
Boeing 737 United States VIP transport 737-700 3[22]
Embraer Legacy 600 Brazil VIP transport 4[23]
Boeing C-17 United States strategic airlifter 11[15]
Ilyushin Il-76 Soviet Union strategic airlifter Il-76MD 17[15]
C-130J Super Hercules United States tactical airlifter C-130J-30[24] 12[15]
Airbus A321 Europe transport A321-200 4[15]
Antonov An-32 Soviet Union tactical airlifter 103[15] 53 are the 32RE variant[25]
EADS CASA C-295 Spain tactical airlifter C-295W 6[26] 50 more on order — HS 748 replacement[27]
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 United Kingdom tactical airlifter 57[15] To be replaced by EADS CASA C-295
Dornier Do 228 Germany tactical airlifter 228-201 58[15] license built by HAL[28]
Helicopters
Boeing AH-64 United States attack AH-64E 22[15]
Mil Mi-24 Russia attack Mi-25/35 15[15]
HAL Prachand India attack 10[29] 66 on order[30]
HAL Rudra India attack 16 50 on order.[31]
CH-47 Chinook United States transport CH-47F 15[15]
Mil Mi-17 Russia utility Mi-17V-5 222[15]
HAL Dhruv India utility 95[15]
HAL Light Utility Helicopter India utility 6 on order[32]
Alouette III France/India liaison Chetak 77[15] license-built by HAL. A fleet of around 120 aircraft.[33]
Cheetal 18[34]
SA 315B Lama France/India utility Cheetah 18[15]
Trainer Aircraft
BAE Hawk United Kingdom Advanced trainer Hawk 132 101

[15][35]

HAL Kiran India Intermediate trainer 77[15]
HAL HTT-40 India Basic trainer 70 on order [15]
Pilatus PC-7 Switzerland Basic trainer Mk II 75[15]
Pipistrel Virus Slovenia Ab initio trainer 72[36][37]
UAV
IAI Heron Israel surveillance Heron 1 47[38] [39]
IAI Heron Mk 2 Israel surveillance Mk 2 4[40][41]
MQ-9 Reaper United States Surveillance/ Combat SkyGuardian 8 on order [42]
IAI Searcher Israel surveillance Mk. I / II [43]
ALS-50 India loitering munition 100[44]
Kadet Loitering Aerial Munition India loitering munition 50+ on order Developed by DRDO and KDS

Multiple variants; Weight - 15 to 120 kg; Warhead - 2 to 40 kg; Max. Endurance - 12 hrs; Max. Range - 150 to 300 km; Canister launched and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) variants[45][46]

Army Aviation Corps

HAL Rudra attack helicopters during Rudra Shakti 2024 exercise
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Helicopters
Boeing AH-64 United States attack AH-64E(I) 6 on order[47]
HAL Prachand India attack 90 on order[30]
HAL Rudra India attack 75[48][49]
HAL Dhruv India utility 76[49][50] 19 more on order[51][52]
Alouette III France/India liaison / utility Chetak 190[53][54] - 200[55] license-built by HAL
SA 315B Lama France/India liaison / utility Cheetah
UAV
Drishti-10 Israel/India Reconnaissance 2 on order[56]
IAI Heron Israel Surveillance Heron 1 [57]
IAI Heron TP Israel Surveillance 4[58] Deployed in Ladakh and Northeast.
IAI Heron Mk 2 Israel Surveillance Mk 2 6 on order[59]
IAI Searcher[60] Israel Reconnaissance Mk-II <100[61]
MQ-9 Reaper United States Surveillance/ Combat SkyGuardian 8 on order [42]
Ideaforge Switch [62][63] India Surveillance 1.0 undisclosed quantities on order[62]
NewSpace NIMBUS India Swarm drones Mk-III 75 Part of autonomous surveillance and armed drone swarm (A-SADS)[64][65]
NewSpace BELUGA India Swarm drones 25
Raphe MPhibr MR-20[66] India Cargo 48[66]
Heliborne operation from HAL Dhruv MK-III
A Boeing P-8I Neptune of Indian Navy
MH-60R Seahawk helicopter of Indian Navy
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat Aircraft
MiG-29 Russia multirole MiG-29K 40[67][68] 7 KUB variants provide conversion training
Maritime patrol
Boeing P-8 United States ASW / patrol P-8I 12[67]
Dornier Do 228 Germany surveillance 228-201[28] 31[69][70] 6 on order[70]
Britten-Norman BN-2 United Kingdom utility / patrol BN-2B/2T[71] 4[67]
Helicopters
HAL Dhruv India utility 24[67]
Kamov Ka-31 Russia AEW 14[67] employs a Planar array radar
Kamov Ka-27 Russia ASW Ka-28 14[67]
SH-60 Seahawk United States ASW / SAR MH-60R 6[72] 24 on order[73]
Westland Sea King United Kingdom SAR / utility Mk.42B/C[74] 25[67] six are UH-3H variants
HAL Chetak France/India liaison / utility 42[67]
Trainer Aircraft
Pipistrel Virus Slovenia Ab initio trainer 12[37]
BAE Hawk United Kingdom Jet trainer Hawk 132 17[67]
HAL Kiran India Jet trainer 20[67]
UAV
IAI Heron[75] Israel surveillance Heron 1 14[76] [77][78]
IAI Searcher[43] Israel surveillance Mk. II
MQ-9 Reaper United States Surveillance/ Combat SeaGuardian 2[79] (On lease) 15 on order[42]
Drishti-10 Israel/India surveillance 2[80][81]

Coast Guard

A Dornier Do-228-101
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Maritime patrol
Dornier Do 228 Germany reconnaissance 101/201[28] 36[82] 2 on order[83]
Helicopters
HAL Dhruv India utility Mk. I / Mk. III 4 / 16[84][85][86] 9 Mk.III on order[87][88]
HAL Chetak France/India utility 17[89]

See also

References

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