Indian Fighter Aircrafts

Fighter aircraft are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. This article provides a list of Indian military aircrafts.

◆ Shamsher

These are 'Jaguar' fighter aircraft.

◆ Vajra

A fighter aircraft of the 'Mirage 2000' series. Part of the army since 1985.

◆ Chetak, Cheetah

These are single-engine helicopters. Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

◆ Deepak

A training aircraft of the Air Force.

◆ Vikram, Trishul

These are fighter aircraft of the MiG-21 series. Part of the army since 1963.

◆ Vijay, Rakshak

These are MiG-23 fighter aircraft. In service since 1981.

◆ Garuda

MiG-25 fighter aircraft. Part of the army since 1981. The Air Force has eight Garuda aircraft. The 102 Squadron to which these belong is known as 'Trisonics'.

◆ Bahadur

The MiG-27 fighter aircraft is known as Bahadur in the Indian Air Force. It has been in service with the Air Force since 1981.

◆ BAS

The MiG-29 fighter aircraft is known as BAS in the Indian Air Force.

◆ Gajraj

The IL-76MD fighter aircraft is known as Gajraj in the Indian Air Force.

◆ Sukhoi

A fighter aircraft developed jointly by the Sukhoi Corporation of Russia and Hindustan Aeronautics. The Sukhoi Su-30 MKi, the best long-range fighter aircraft in the Indian Air Force, has a speed of 2120 km/h. The Sukhoi Su-30 MKi is the first Sukhoi aircraft of the Indian Air Force to land on a national highway (Rajasthan).

◆ Lakshya 1

Lakshya 1 is an indigenously developed light unmanned aircraft. It was successfully tested in January 2012. It is operated using a remote control system. Lakshya is the smallest combat aircraft developed by India.

◆ Dhruv

It is an indigenously developed advanced light helicopter. It is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics.

◆ Rudra

Rudra is an indigenously developed advanced light helicopter. It is an armed version of the Dhruv-4 multi-role helicopter manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Rudra was handed over to the Army on 8 February 2013.

◆ Rustom - I, II

Rustom - I is a new unmanned aircraft developed by the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization. Rustom - II (Tapas 201) is an unmanned aircraft developed indigenously by India as part of ensuring national security.

◆ Nishant

An unmanned aircraft developed indigenously by DRDO.

◆ Mirage - 2000

Mirage - 2000 is a fighter aircraft purchased by India from France. The Mirage - 2000 was the first fighter aircraft to be tested on a highway in India.

◆ Tejas Fighter Plane

The Tejas, an indigenously developed light fighter aircraft, became part of the Indian Air Force on July 1, 2016. It became part of the Air Force after 32 years of research and trials. Tejas, a single-seat, single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft, is 13.2 meters long and weighs 6,500 kilograms. Its maximum speed is 1,350 kilometers per hour. It can fly at the speed of sound. Tejas is operated by the Flying Daggers squadron under the Southern Air Command of the IAF. Tejas replaced the Russian MiG-21. The IAF had been dependent on the MiG-21 for half a century. The light fighter was named Tejas by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The supersonic aircraft can carry weapons such as laser-guided bombs, missiles, rockets, and anti-ship missiles. Tejas is the first Indian aircraft to perform an 'arrest landing'. An arrest landing is when an aircraft is stopped before it can fly too far on the runway. This technology is mainly used to land aircraft on warships called aircraft carriers.

◆ Rafale Fighter Aircraft

The Rafale, the fighter aircraft acquired by the Indian Air Force from France.