The recent India-China border The recent India-China border dispute at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has led to a war-like situation between the two nations as talks are failing at all level.
All eyes were on the FM meet held on 10th of september on thurday, but it seems that neither of the two nations could come up with a solution of the ongoing border dispute.
Hence some action is expected in some areas. In the modern times Air power is used as the deterrence force in a war like situation. So let’s compare the air power of India and China .
• Talking about the commands the INDIAN AIR FORCE(IAF) is divided into 7 commands :
1) Western Command
2) Eastern Command
3) Central Command
4) Southern Command
5) South Western Command
6) Training
7) Maintenance
• Whereas the CHINESE AIR FORCE (PLAAF) is organised into 5 commands:
1) Eastern Theatre Command
2) Southern Theatre Command
3) Western Theatre Command
4) Eastern Theatre Command
5) Central Theatre Command
• IAF operates more than 1700 aircrafts which includes 900 combat aircrafts. Following are the aircraft fleets that IAF operates :
1) Fighter aircrafts:
- Sukhoi Su-30 MKI
- HAL TEJAS
- Mig-29
- Mig-21 Bison
- Jaguar
- Rafale
2) Transport Aircrafts: - C-17 Globemaster
- C-130J
- Ilyushin IL-76
- Antonov An-32
- Dornier Do-228
3) Helicopters: - CH-74 Chinook
- AH-64E Apache
- Mil Mi-26
- Mil Mi-8
- Mil Mi-17
- Mi-17 1V
- Mi-17V 5
- HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)
- HAL Rudra
4) EARLY WARNING AIRCRAFTS: - The IAF currently operates indigenously developed DRDO AEW&C system, which is based on the Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft, and the EL/W-2090 Phalcon AEW&C installed on the Beriev A-50 platform.
• On the other hand PLAAF operates more than 2700 aircrafts including its 2000 combat aircrafts.Following are the aircraft fleets that PLAAF operates:
1) Fighter aircrafts:
- J-10B
- J-10C
- J-11B
- J-16
- Su-30
- J-20
2) Transport Aircrafts: - Y-20
- IL-76
3) Helicopters: - WZ-10 attack helicopters
- Mil Mi-8
- Harbin Z-9 utility helicopters
- Changhe Z-8 transport/utility helicopters.
4) EARLY WARNING AIRCRAFTS: - PLAAF currently operates KJ-2000 Mainring ( based on Ilyushin Il-76), KJ-200 Moth (Shaanxi Y-8), and KJ-500 (Shaanxi Y-9).
• China’s bomber force comprises the H-6 Badger bomber variants. The long-range aircraft can carry six land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs), providing the PLAAF with a long-range, precision-strike capability to target any part of India.The IAF, on the other hand, has no strategic bomber fleet .
• PLAAF fleet outnumbers the IAF’s inventory by nearly two to one. But In case of a high-altitude war, India is better placed than China as many of the IAF aircraft are capable of flying at high altitudes in all-weather conditions with support from nearby airbases. PLAAF aircraft may have to fly with limited supplies and fuel due to rough weather conditions in their airbases near Tibet .China’s 4 air fields in Tibet are above 13000 feet, causing them severe limitations in loads and range.They could stage their aircrafts from Eastern Air bases and refuell twice but they have only 15
refuellers in all.
On the other hand IAF’s air fields are in an arc from Srinagar to Chabua . Aircrafts can take off with 100 % load,
use Himalayas for terrain masking and achieve Air Dominance.Their only solution is to move entire PLAAF against India leaving
nothing against Russia, Taiwan, East.
• AIR DEFENCE :
- China holds an inventory of long-range surface-to-air defence systems including HQ-9, S-300, and S-400 ensure the PLAAF to counter incoming aircraft, UAVs and cruise missiles from India.
- On the other hand, India holds an inventory of Spyder, Barak 8 and Akash air defence missile systems which can engage targets within the range of 100km.
Chinese air defence units are composed of active-duty forces and reserve forces. Active-duty units hold tactical anti-aircraft missiles, artillery, gun and missile systems, as well as man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems to defend mobile forces.
Whereas India is yet to establish a new air defence command under the IAF to handle all long-range missiles and air defence assets to counter enemy attacks.
Article researched and written – Vinit Mehta, defense expert based in India. You can follow him on twitter @Vinit__Mehta.
