New Delhi – India’s air combat power is under strain. The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently fields only about 30 combat squadrons (roughly 520–550 fighters) against a doctrinal requirement of 42–45. This is the lowest strength in decades. It’s for India fighter jet crisis and it may create severe problem. By contrast, China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has around 2,000 fighter aircraft (50+ squadrons, including advanced J-20 stealth fighters), and Pakistan’s Air Force fields roughly 25 squadrons (450–500 aircraft, including F-16s and JF-17s). Widely cited estimates warn that by late 2025 India’s strength may dip to 29 squadrons, barely edging Pakistan’s count. This shortfall has serious national security implications: the IAF’s leadership publicly acknowledges it cannot sustain a full two front air campaign with current numbers.
Current Squadron Strength vs. Requirement
The Indian government long ago sanctioned a target of 42 fighter squadrons (the Thirteenth Plan even envisaged 45 by 2027). In reality, the IAF today maintains only about 30 active squadrons. (A typical Indian squadron fields 16–20 jets.) Even on paper this leaves roughly 12 fewer squadrons than mandated; in practice the shortfall is deeper because many aging jets are cannibalized or “number-plated” (kept only administratively active). IAF chiefs have repeatedly stressed that without reaching at least the 42 squadron mark, the force will struggle to simultaneously guard borders with Pakistan and China. As Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa warned in 2018, “numbers were not adequate to execute a full air campaign in a two-front scenario.”
Comparatively, China’s PLAAF is vastly larger. Estimates put China at roughly 3,000 total aircraft with about 1,975 fighters. Even discounting older types, China fields 50+ fighter squadrons, many equipped with modern 4th/5th-generation jets (Su-30/MK2, J-10, J-11, and now J-20 stealth fighters).
Pakistan, India’s other primary adversary, has roughly 25 squadrons (450–500 fighters). Pakistan’s fleet includes MiG-era Mirages, 80+ modern F-16s (Block 15/52 variants), and over 130 JF-17 “Thunder” jets developed with China. India’s current numerical disadvantage with barely more jets than Pakistan and far fewer than China is often highlighted by analysts as a looming crisis.
