Top Fighter Jets in India 2022

Fighter Jets

The Indian Air Force is a formidable force due to its most advanced and well-equipped fighting unit whose competence is recognised worldwide. The strength of the Airforce is bolstered by its mightiest fighter jets that have unique capabilities to combat at the time of any possible dangerous situation. Fighter planes are used by the Indian Airforce to safeguard crucial airspace by destroying enemy planes equipped with defensive armament planes during combat situations.

Fighter Jets in India

In order to outshine other powerful Airforces of the world and outmanoeuvre hostile aircraft, fighters are strengthened with extraordinary capabilities to deliver their full potential. Generally, these fighter planes are equipped with sophisticated armaments capable of striking and wrecking enemy aircraft.

Top Fighter Jets in India 2022

In this article, we will tell you about the top fighter jets of the Indian Air Force. Below is the list of active fighter jets used by the Indian Air Force:

1. Dassault Rafale

Dassault Rafale is a twin-jet combat aircraft which is considered to be the world’s most advanced fighter jet made by the French aviation company, Dassault Aviation.

The firepower of the IAF increased multifold after the induction of the multi-role combat aircraft, 36 of which will be part of India’s winged armed force.

The first squadron of the aircraft is deployed at the Ambala Air Force Station, which is one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF.

The Dassault Rafale is based on the delta wing architecture and twin-generation engines that help it reach G-forces as high as 11G and is also useful for ground and maritime attacks, reconnaissance, high-precision strikes, and nuclear strike deterrence.

India has placed an order for both single and dual-seating cabin Rafales and the aircraft is capable of carrying the most advanced weapons with latest-gen avionics and mechanicals.

This fourth-generation aircraft has semi-stealth capabilities and has a feature of Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile with a range of around 150 kilometres which makes it capable of a missile attack from within the Indian border 150 kilometres into Chinese or Pakistani territory.

2. HAL Tejas LCA

One of the most remarkable achievement under make-in-India campaign is the induction of Tejas LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Generally, India has to deal with other countries like Russia, France and Britain to get fighter jets and to make India Self- Reliant and replace the ageing Soviet-sourced MiG-21, the Tejas was conceptualized.

In July 2016, the Indian Air Force (IAF) received the Tejas single-seat, single-engine, lightweight, high-agility supersonic fighter aircraft. Tejas had flown 4,599 test flights up to Mach 1.4 as of December 2019.

IAF has placed an order of 40 Tejas Mk 1, including 32 single-seat aircraft and eight twin-seat trainers. IAF has also initiated procurement of a further 73 single-seat fighters in Mk 1A configuration. The Tejas is also made on a Delta-winged structure and is among the most developed jets of India.

Designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of the Indian Department of Defence with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) serving as the primary industrial contractor, Tejas was manufactured. In January 2020, a Tejas naval prototype successfully completed a flight test on the INS Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier. In May 2020, the IAF received the first Tejas Mk1 in the final operational clearance (FOC) configuration.

It can carry out various operations from Air-to-air, air-to-ground, and anti-ship missiles, as well as precision-guided munitions, rockets, and bombs. On the hardpoints, electronic warfare, targeting, surveillance, reconnaissance, or training pods can be carried.

3. Sukhoi Su-30MKI

Before the induction of Rafale, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI was considered to be the most advanced fighter jets in India. This multi-role combat fighter aircraft is made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under a license agreement with Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau where they called it as Flanker. Used exclusively by the Indian Air Force, there are an estimated close to 300 units of 30MKI, which was first developed for the IAF in 1995. Sukhoi constructed two Su-30MKI prototypes between 1995 and 1998, . The Su-30I-1, the first prototype, flew for the first time in July 1997. the first unit was inducted in 2002. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI can carry a wide range of equipment and armaments and it has thrust vectoring control and canards with a top speed of Mach 2 (2120 kmph).