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[edit]

HAL Tejas at Aero India 2017
IAF Rafale take off from Dassault Aviation Facility, Merignac, France.
A Su-30MKI
Netra AEW&C on Embraer ERJ 145 platform
A C-130J Hercules on approach
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 2[4][5] Used for training; 16 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 Fighter Fulcrum 54[1] 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[11] Being phased out.[12]
AEW&CS
Embraer R-99 Brazil AEW&C Netra Mk1 3[13] equipped with a Netra AEW&CS.
Beriev A-50 Soviet Union AEW&C A-50EI 3[13] equipped with the EL/W-2090 radar. 2 more planned.[14][15]
Reconnaissance
Boeing 707 United States SIGINT / ELINT 707-337C Phalcon 1[13]
Global 5000 United States ELINT 2[13]
Gulfstream III United States ELINT SRA[16] 3[13] Also used for electronic-warfare
Gulfstream G100 Israel surveillance 1125 Astra 2[13]
Tanker
Ilyushin Il-78 Soviet Union aerial refuelling Il-78MKI 6[13]
Transport
Boeing 777 United States VIP transport 777-300ER 2[17] Used for Air India One for presidential flight
Boeing 737 United States VIP transport 737-700 3[18]
Embraer Legacy 600 Brazil VIP transport 4[19]
Boeing C-17 United States strategic airlifter 11[13]
Ilyushin Il-76 Soviet Union strategic airlifter Il-76MD 17[13]
C-130J Super Hercules United States tactical airlifter C-130J-30[20] 12[13]
Airbus A321 Europe transport A321-200 4[13]
Antonov An-32 Soviet Union tactical airlifter 103[13] 53 are the 32RE variant[21]
EADS CASA C-295 Spain tactical airlifter C-295MW 5[22] 51 more on order - HS 748 replacement[23]
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 United Kingdom tactical airlifter 57[13]
Dornier Do 228 Germany tactical airlifter 228-201 58[13] license built by HAL[24]
Helicopters
Boeing AH-64 United States attack AH-64E 22[13]
Mil Mi-24 Russia attack Mi-24/25/35 15[13]
HAL Prachand India attack 10[25] 66 on order[26]
HAL Rudra India attack 16 50 on order.[27]
CH-47 Chinook United States transport CH-47F 15[13]
Mil Mi-17 Russia utility Mi-17V-5 222[13]
HAL Dhruv India utility 95[13]
HAL LUH India utility 6 on order[28]
Alouette III France/India liaison Chetak 77[13] license-built by HAL
SA 315B Lama France/India utility Cheetah 18[13] license-built by HAL
Trainer Aircraft
BAE Hawk United Kingdom Advanced trainer Hawk 132 101

[13][29]

HAL Kiran India Intermediate trainer 77[13]
HAL HTT-40 India Basic trainer 70 on order [13]
Pilatus PC-7 Switzerland Basic trainer Mk II 75[13]
Pipistrel Virus Slovenia Ab initio trainer 72[30]
UAV
IAI Heron Israel surveillance Heron 1 47[31] [32]
IAI Heron Mk 2 Israel surveillance Mk 2 4[33][34]
IAI Searcher Israel surveillance Mk. I / II [35]
ALS-50 India loitering munition 100[36]
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[37][38]

Army Aviation Corps[edit]

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[39]
HAL Prachand India attack 90 on order[26]
HAL Rudra India attack 75[40][41]
HAL Dhruv India utility 76[41][42] 19 more on order[43][44]
Alouette III France/India liaison / utility Chetak 190[45] - 200[46] license-built by HAL
SA 315B Lama France/India liaison / utility Cheetah license-built by HAL
UAV
Drishti-10 Israel/India Reconnaissance 2 on order[47]
IAI Heron Israel Surveillance Heron 1 [48]
IAI Heron TP Israel Surveillance 4[49] Deployed in Ladakh and Northeast.
IAI Heron Mk 2 Israel Surveillance Mk 2 6 on order[50]
IAI Searcher[51] Israel Reconnaissance Mk-II <100[52]
Ideaforge Switch [53][54] India Surveillance 1.0 undisclosed quantities on order[53]
NewSpace NIMBUS India Swarm drones Mk-III 75 Part of autonomous surveillance and armed drone swarm (A-SADS)[55][56]
NewSpace BELUGA India Swarm drones 25
Raphe MPhibr MR-20[57] India Cargo 48[57]

Naval Air Arm[edit]

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[58][59] 7 KUB variants provide conversion training
Maritime patrol
Boeing P-8 United States ASW / patrol P-8I 12[58]
Dornier Do 228 Germany surveillance 228-201[24] 25[60] 10 on order[58]
Britten-Norman BN-2 United Kingdom utility / patrol BN-2B/2T[61] 4[58]
Helicopters
HAL Dhruv India utility 24[58]
Kamov Ka-31 Russia AEW 14[58] employs a Planar array radar
Kamov Ka-27 Russia ASW Ka-28 14[58]
SH-60 Seahawk United States ASW / SAR MH-60R 6[62] 24 on order[63]
Westland Sea King United Kingdom SAR / utility Mk.42B/C[64] 25[58] six are UH-3H variants
HAL Chetak France/India liaison / utility 42[58]
Trainer Aircraft
BAE Hawk United Kingdom Jet trainer Hawk 132 17[58]
HAL Kiran India Jet trainer 20[58]
UAV
IAI Heron[65] Israel surveillance Heron 1 14[66] [67][68]
IAI Searcher[35] Israel surveillance Mk. II
MQ-9 Reaper United States surveillance SeaGuardian 2[69]
Drishti-10 Israel/India surveillance 2[70][71]

Coast Guard[edit]

A Dornier Do-228-101
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Maritime patrol
Dornier Do 228 Germany reconnaissance 101/201[24] 36[72] 2 on order[73]
Helicopters
HAL Dhruv India utility Mk. I / Mk. III 4 / 16[74][75][76] 9 Mk.III on order[77][78]
HAL Chetak France/India utility 17[79]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]


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