NEW DELHI – The Indian Air Force is short not only on fighter jetslink>butalso pilots to fly them in the event of a war. The IAF on February 1, 2018,had 3,855 pilots against a sanctioned strength of 4,231, a shortfall of376, confirmed Union Minister of Defence (State) Dr Subhash Bhamre in awritten reply to Harshvardhan Singh Dungarpur in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The Indian Navy and Indian Army, too, face a shortage of pilots.
IAF is also well below the 42 combat squadron strength to tackle thescenario of a two-front war with China and Pakistan. At present, the IAFhas an effective strengthlink>ofjust 34 combat squadrons but three of those are of the older MiG-21BIS,MiG-21M and MiG-27 which are on the verge of being phased out.
There are 11 squadrons of the frontline Su-30MKI, three each of the MiG-29and Mirage 2000, six Jaguar and six MiG-21Bison squadrons apart from twoupgraded MiG-27 squadrons. The force has already ordered three moreSu-30MKI and two Dassault Rafale squadrons along with two squadrons of theindigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas MK 1.
The Indian Navy is also short by 91 pilots. The sanctioned strength is 735while the force has 644 pilots. The Army Aviation Corp has a shortage of192 pilots. Against the mandated strength of 794, the force has only 602pilots.
Bhamre told the Rajya Sabha that the IAF and other arms of the defenceforces have already taken steps to address the shortfall of trainedofficers to fly the aircraft.
An aspirant desirous of becoming an IAF pilot can enter the force throughfour modes – National Defence Academy (NDA), Combined Defence ServicesExamination (CDSE), Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) for non-UPSCentries and National Cadet Corps (NCC) special entry.
IAF is also ensuring that the aircrew is fully utilised in a cockpitvacancy for the maximum duration which is well beyond the period requiredfor amortisation of the cost of training. The force has also ensured thatonly limited numbers are given release such that the combat potential ofIAF is not compromised at any stage.
An Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) has also been set up in 2013 atGandhinagar in Gujarat and the selection process into the IAF has beensimplified with the introduction of the AFCAT for non-UPSC entries.
IAF has also been organising career fairs/exhibitions, advertisements inprint and electronic media, motivational lectures in schools, colleges,visuals/signage at strategic locations etc. too woo aspirants aiming tobecome a pilot.
Pilots are inducted in the Indian Navy as Permanent Commission or ShortService Commission (SSC) officers. Volunteers from serving Executive branchofficers (upto 25 years of age) are selected for pilot training biannuallywhereas SSC officers are inducted biannually through the Direct EntryScheme.
All pilots in the Army Aviation Corps are commissioned officers. Allaspirants must take and clear the Pilot Aptitude and Battery Test (PABT)and Aviation medical examination after which they undergo the Basic andAdvance flying training, on completion of which they become pilots.
An officer can join the Army Aviation either by opting for the same duringpre-commissioning training at IMA and OTA or volunteer for the same oncompletion of one and half years of service.
A study on the restructuring of Army Pilot Cadre was conducted followingwhich some decisions to address the issue have been taken. There has beenan increase in Direct Commissioned Officers (DCO) both from Indian MilitaryAcademy (IMA) and the Officers Training Academy (OTA).
For the DCO, the lower service limit of two years of attachment period withfallback arm after commissioning has also been reduced to one and halfyears.