When going through our combat inventory I found Mig 29UPG ,Mirage 2000 and Jaguar alone contribute 245 combat planes.
Jaguar - 130 Airframe
1. Don't know how many of them in flying condition due to non availability of spares.
2. Pretty ageing aircraft but reliable.
3. Thrust issue with engines
4. Next major upgrade will be Darin 3 ( Heard only 40 aircrafts will be upgraded)
Mig 29UPG - 65 Airframe
1. Already upgraded to max condition.
2. May hold for one decade
Mirage 2000I - 50 Airframe
1. Already upgraded to max
2. May work for another Decade
Max payload (Combination of Weapons and Drop tanks)
Jaguar - 4500 kg , Mig - 4000 kg, Mirage - 6300 Kg
Now we are working on our Chunky boi - Tejas MK2. Have a modern AESA, MAWS, Targeting Pod.
1. Multirole
2.Payload - 6500 kg.
But IAF Chief cited him as too chunky and they will only commit 7 sqn.
Ideally MK2 should be our J10. Can be substantially ordered and we can simply replacing older planes like Jaguar , Mig and Mirage over the coming years.
Adv: 1. Inventory will be consist of single fighters.
But ordering seven sqn looks foolish and it will create a zoo with Tejas MK2, some MIg, Mirage and some Rafale.
But we can rant here while MOD and IAF are the ones to take decisions.
