The Indian Air Force (IAF) which is facing a shortage in its fighter squadrons, is hopeful that increasing the low availability rates of Su-30 and other fighters in service will offset some of the shortfall, it informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on defence. However, that delivery schedule could be potentially impacted due to the Russian offensive in Ukraine and the Western sanctions on which officials said they are assessing the situation.
“But there is an interesting fact that we have ended up spending a large amount when we got the funds last to last year and last year also on revenue spares. There is an interesting aspect that a very large number of Sukhoi-30 and other fighters are on ground and we are hopeful that when those spares start coming from this year onwards, we are hopeful that will be able to actually add some squadrons,” an IAF representative told the committee as per a report tabled in Parliament last week.
That is one way Air Force fills that, the representative said stating the serviceability state “has been low”. “Once we get that, the existing strength itself we can ramp up before the new aircraft come in. That is the best we are looking at for us as of now,” the Committee was appraised.
