New Delhi recently secured nine retired British-built Jaguar ground-attack jets, which will not enter service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) but will be dismantled to help sustain its six operational Jaguar strike squadrons of about 120 aircraft.
Analysts said the acquisition was a practical stopgap but also exposed a deeper weakness in India’s air power: dependence on foreign components and an inability to induct replacement aircraft quickly enough have left the IAF operating well below the fleet size approved by the government.
Kapil Kak, a former Indian air vice-marshal, attributed the decline in the country’s aircraft fleet to slow indigenous production, a shortage of skilled manpower and a lack of commitment to fulfilling contracts and obligations.