List of active Indian military aircraft

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

Further information: Indian Air Force and Future of the Indian 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

Further information: Army Aviation Corps (India)
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]
Further information: Indian Naval Air Arm and List of Indian naval aircraft
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
Further information: Indian Coast Guard
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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