NEW DELHI: Amid the fast-changing geo-strategic scenario, the combat capability of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is turning into a tale of woes; not only is there a shortage of fighter pilots, the training of these pilots, even when inducted, is plagued with shortage of resources.
Delay in modernisation, specifically of the force multipliers, aggravates the situation further, especially when compared to Pakistan and Chinese Air Forces who have an edge in the same.
The audit carried out by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and tabled in during the winter session has noted a continued decline in the number of combat pilots as, “In February 2015, IAF had assessed that there was a shortage of 486 pilots.”
There was a plan to arrest the decline of pilots but the force could not keep up with it. “Between 2016 to 2021, against the planned initial intake of 222 trainees annually, the initial annual intake ranged between 158 and 204 trainees. Also, the annual intake after wastage ranged between 124 to 167.” As a result, “the shortage of pilots rose from 486 to 596 which was expected to be filled up between January 2021 and January 2030.”
But, what adds to the problem is the training being done on old aircraft in all three streams of the pilot training, which the CAG, in its Report on Training of Pilots in Indian Air Force, presented in Parliament in winter session.
The Performance Audit was conducted during the period January 2022 to May 2022 and covered the three stages of training; Stage I (Basic), Stage II (Intermediate) and Stage III (Applied) imparted by the Flying Training Establishments (FTEs) and the training of Navigators at the Navigation Training School (NTS) during the period 2016 to 2021.
The audit findings about Trainer Aircraft said had stated in March 2013 that action was on hand to procure 296 aircrafts by 2016 and IAF would have sufficient resources to train its pilots till 2036.
But, the report says, “In case of fighter stream, induction of 106 Basic Trainer Aircrafts and 73 Intermediate Jet Trainers, both indigenously being designed and developed by HAL, could not materialise due to delays in clearance from certifying agency and design issues, respectively.”
In case of helicopter stream, the training was being imparted on the Chetak helicopters which had been inducted more than 50 years ago.