ABSTRACT
The Indian Air Force through its history has largely been configured for the air defences of India, and only secondarily for strike missions, whether local or long range. India's first option for refuelling is its fleet of six IL-78 Midas tanker aircraft. Tankers are therefore a 'weak link' in any strike package, whose loss would put at risk the survival of a disproportionately large number of supported combat aircraft. India's reach is much more limited against targets with advanced air-defence systems or proficient defensive anti-air capabilities. One major advantage of naval air power over its land-based counterpart is that it can shorten flight times to targets thereby allowing more time 'on station'. The chapter shows that India's land-based and naval aircraft are growing into a substantial force, capable of producing and sustaining sizeable packages of combat aircraft, armed with precision-guided munitions and cruise missiles, over 1,000 km from Indian soil.
