The concept of force multipliers is a key element of military doctrine that asserts a country can fight with limited resources and win. In the broadest sense, a force or combat multiplier is a tangible or intangible variable that increases a military’s combat value and overall capability. US Army Brigadier General Huba Wass de Czege, an independent military theorist, defined force multipliers as “supporting assets that augment the disruptive and destructive effects of combat forces.”
The IAF’s innovative deployment of a detachment of MiG-21s for communications during the 1971 war is an excellent example of an interceptor aircraft becoming a force multiplier. Air Marshal (retd) Subhash Bhojwani, a young Flying Officer during the war, offers a peek into how the IAF used the jet fighter as a high-altitude relay aircraft.
IAF bombers returning after striking deep in Pakistani territory often found it difficult to land back home because they were either flying under the radar or out of radio range. “So our role as MiG-21 FL was to fly high at an altitude of 9 km and relay the signals to the returning fighter pilots,” says Bhojwani. “We would use code language and I was a ‘sparrow’. The Pakistanis who intercepted our conversation never imagined that it was a MiG-21 FL flying at high altitude and instead thought the Russians secretly gave Indians their AWACS aircraft, the Moss.”
India doesn’t have to use such stopgap contrivances anymore. As a major aerospace power, the IAF has sought to enhance its fundamentals to extend its reach, accuracy, all-weather capabilities and situational awareness. It has been acquiring and enhancing force multipliers in many critical sectors. The following are the areas where the service makes the most headway.
Air-to-Air Refuelling: Strategic Reach
In the late 1970s, the IAF sought the removal of aerial refuelling plumbing in the Anglo-French Jaguar aircraft even though they were meant for the Deep Penetration Strike role. The reason was that India’s military doctrine did not envisage operating too far beyond the country’s borders.
The decision to issue a tender for the acquisition of new fighter aircraft implies a broader evaluation of available options and potential collaborations. Or is the IAF stricken with a desire to experience American fighter jets? If yes, it raises questions about the strategic considerations behind such decisions
How things have changed since then. With the IAF intending to convert itself into an expeditionary force, air refuelling is considered a necessity. All future aircraft acquisitions will have in-flight refuelling capability following a policy decision. Today, whether it is long-range aircraft or helicopters, aerial refuelling capability is a key requirement. Even the Tejas light combat aircraft, used to close air support, has a refuelling system.
Air refuelling capability is a potent force multiplier. Most people know that it extends the range of aircraft but it’s a lot more than that.
- Aircraft can take off with their maximum weapons payload and minimum fuel, and later accept fuel from tanker-borne aircraft. This substantially extends the range of aircraft with substantial weapons payload. For instance, air dominance fighters such as the Su-30MKI have 12 hard points, with a capacity of 8,130 kg. The aircraft can take off with its full complement of missiles, rockets, bombs, auto-cannon guns, chaff and targeting pods, and after accepting fuel from tankers it can operate at long ranges.
- Aircraft can launch from secure bases deep inside home/friendly territory. This reduces the vulnerability of launching combat aircraft from exposed forward bases.
- Having air defence, strike aircraft and other assets on airborne readiness without fuel state worries, reduces response time significantly.
The IAF acquired its first air refuelling aircraft, the Russian IL-78 tanker, in 2003. Currently, the IAF operates six such aircraft and plans to add six more. The IL-78 is a three-point tanker that can fuel three fighter jets simultaneously. It has a total fuel-carrying capacity of about 110 tonnes and can refuel six to eight aircraft per mission.
Aggressiveness is a fundamental requirement of air combat, and the IAF has traditionally been an attack-orientated force. The deployment of aerial refuellers has provided tactical flexibility and significantly improved the strategic capabilities of IAF fighters to conduct long-range operations.
In April 2013, the IAF held its largest-ever combat exercise involving 400 combat aircraft plus 200 transport planes and helicopters. The exercise aimed at testing the IAF’s capability for a two-front war against China and Pakistan, by deploying ‘swing forces’ from the western theatre right across to the east. As part of the war games, Sukhoi-30MKIs flew 1,800 km bombing missions from the northeast to the western front, with mid-air refuelling. IAF pilots are known to lead missions over 10 hours.
In April 2018, the IAF conducted Operation Gaganshakti, its largest-ever all-encompassing combat-ready exercise. During the exercise, because of Chinese naval activities in the Indian Ocean, the IAF carried out long-range strike validation using Su-30 fighter aircraft over the extended area of the Indian Ocean Region. “In the long-range strike concept validation, Su30 aircraft carried out air-air refuelling and engaged multiple targets at ranges in excess of 2,000 km,” the IAF tweeted.
Refuelling has rendered another tactical advantage. Earlier, because of the low range of its fighter aircraft and coupled with the fact that the IAF had to quickly deploy them in war, most Indian air bases – such as Adampur, Jammu, Amritsar and Jodhpur – were close to the Pakistan border. This meant that in the event of a sneak attack by Pakistan, several Indian aircraft would be destroyed or damaged on the ground. But now, aircraft are also being stationed at places such as Thanjavur in the deep south, Chabua in Assam, and Pune in western India, away from PAF reach. IAF interceptors and fighter bombers can join battle at any frontline at a few hours’ notice.
Another huge force multiplier is pairing the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with the Su-30MKI. The BrahMos’ 300 km plus range allows the Sukhois’ to fire at enemy targets from safe standoff distances, well clear of enemy air defences, considerably lowering the risk to pilots
Due to the IAF’s IL 78 refuellers, Sukhois have flown to the US and Europe several times to participate in mock combat exercises.
The extent to which extra fuel can enhance warfighting capability was demonstrated in November 2017 when for the first time an IL-78 tanker carried out air-to-air refuelling of the Embraer transport aircraft that has the indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system Netra mounted on it. “A mere 10-minute in-flight refuelling can generate four more hours of flight,” the IAF said, adding, “The achievement has given a tremendous boost to the IAF’s operational capability.”
The IAF had originally planned to acquire the larger capacity Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport based on the Airbus A330 wide-body long-range twin-passenger jet. This tanker can double up as a troop or cargo carrier when not performing tanker duties, which means better utilisation of capital resources and less idle capacity.
Even with just six tankers the IAF has acquired the ability to reach far and strike deep. Therefore, air-to-air refuelling is one of the most important force multipliers in the IAF’s fleet.
AWACS: Look First, Shoot First
India has been looking for aircraft that can patrol and act at extended ranges. This capability is provided by an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) – airborne radar that can detect aircraft, ships and vehicles at long ranges. Such an aircraft can simultaneously command and control the battlespace in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack aircraft strikes. In simple terms, it is easier to neutralise the enemy if you observe the enemy before it spots you.
In January 2004, India and Israel signed a $1.1 billion contract for three Phalcon AWACS aircraft, as part of a $1.5 billion tripartite agreement with Russia. The Phalcon is built around an ELTA EL/M-2075 AESA L-band radar, then adds electronic and communications intelligence gathering (ELINT and COMINT) capabilities. The system can intercept enemy communications, log radar frequencies, and receive transmissions from other air and ground stations to round out its surveillance picture. It uses sensor fusion to provide a complete picture of the battlespace out to 400 km. On-board communications allow these AWACS planes to direct communications-compatible forces and allies based on the bigger picture, which is why AWACS planes are so valuable.
Because the IAF has to monitor huge swathes of Indian airspace, the service has planned for a fleet of 15 AWACS, including eight for the eastern border and five for the western sector. But because of procurement delays, it currently has three Phalcons.
The IAF is also training its crew in operating the indigenously developed – and smaller – AEW&CS based on the Brazilian Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft. Apart from providing the IAF with a cheaper and hence, more flexible AEW&C platform as a backup to its more capable EL/W-2090 class systems, the DRDO AEW&C project aimed to develop the domestic ability to design and operationalise airborne surveillance platforms.
AWACS systems are significantly boosting the effectiveness of both offensive and defensive operations. Their superior detection and interception capability, connected to fighters and surface-to-air missile systems, are potent force multipliers that could prove war winners.
Precision Guided Munitions: Surgical Strikes
Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) allow attacking aircraft to carry just enough weapons to deliver the right amount of explosives at the right point. Since PGMs are far cheaper than new aircraft, the punch of an older-generation aircraft can also be multiplied by providing it with adequate PGMs.
Unlike free-fall ‘dumb’ bombs, PGMs can be guided to their intended target. In the Ukraine War, Russia modified its dumb bombs into glide bombs by using guidance kits and fins. The Russian Air Force’s use of glide bombs has been devastating for Ukraine. The bombs can be launched from aircraft and glide onto towns and infantry positions. They are being described as a ‘miracle weapon’ that has secured the takeover of key towns in eastern Ukraine.
Closer home, their effectiveness was proven in the Kargil War when IAF Mirage-2000s used lasers to illuminate Pakistani targets and then launched PGMs at those marked areas. Dozens of previous sorties had failed to hit the difficult-to-reach hideouts of the Pakistani intruders but the arrival of the laser-guided bombs completely changed the battlefield scenario.
The DRDO has achieved some success in the indigenisation of smart weapons. The Next Generation-Laser Guided Bombs (NG-LGB), with standoff ranges of 50 to 100 km, guided by an onboard navigation system, may soon be part of the IAF’s inventory.
Another huge force multiplier is pairing the BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile with the Su-30MKI. The BrahMos’ 300 km plus range allows the Sukhois to fire at enemy targets from safe standoff distances, well clear of enemy air defences, considerably lowering the risk to pilots.
Electronic Warfare: Blinding the Enemy
Jamming enemy communications is the surest way to ensure the safety of our aircraft. One of the most spectacular uses of Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) was the blinding of Syrian radars by the Israelis during the Bekka Valley air war of 1982. The result – although the Syrian Air Force had advanced Russian MiGs, the Israeli jamming was so effective that most Syrian pilots never got a chance to offer combat against the Israeli F-15s and F-16s. Within the space of a few hours, the Israeli Air Force shot down 82 Syrian jet fighters; the Syrians were able to down just one enemy aircraft.
Again, during the initial hours of the first Gulf War in 1991, the Iraqi air defence system was blinded by American ECM, allowing allied aircraft to enter Iraqi air space with impunity. By the end of the first day of the war, Iraq’s command, control and communications systems – built at considerable cost over decades and reputed to be one of the most intricate in the Middle East – were rendered unusable.
India has made some progress in the ECM sector that allows the IAF to significantly degrade the effectiveness of hostile sensors and weapons. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar aircraft possess adequate integral ECM capability. Besides, the IAF has a few dedicated ECM aircraft.
India is modernising its air defence network, inducting thousands of indigenous Akash SAMs supplemented by the Russian S-400 Triumf air defence system. A Triumf regiment based in Punjab has the potential to take out a Pakistan aircraft flying over Sargodha in just over a minute
However, India is far from the advances made by the Western nations. Without adequate offensive electronic warfare capability, the IAF will cede control of the electronic spectrum to its adversaries. At the same time, the absence of countermeasures to the adversary’s electronic warfare attacks could put the IAF’s missions at risk.
Cyber Warfare: Logging out the Enemy
The IAF is making rapid strides towards becoming a fully networked force able to execute networked operations. Its new emerging network architecture includes the Operational Data Link (ODL), the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Air Force Net (AFNET).
AFNET, a robust digital information grid that enabled quick and accurate threat responses, was launched in 2010, helping the IAF become a truly network-centric air force. AFNET is a secure communication network linking command and control centres with offensive aircraft, sensor platforms and ground missile batteries. This military network will be integrated in the future with civil radar and other networks to provide an integrated Air Situation Picture, and act as a force multiplier for intelligence analysis, mission control, and support activities like maintenance and logistics.
Networked operations and capabilities reside in the availability of computers and reliable infrastructure to connect them into one seamless entity. Such new capabilities, however, bring new vulnerabilities. Enemy attacks on this network and its components could be devastatingly paralysing to the extent that the IAF is made non-functional. Therefore, the design features multiple layers of security measures, including encryption and intrusion prevention technologies, to hinder and deter espionage efforts.
These systems received a major workout during the March-April 2013 Livewire exercises, which took place across India and involved most of the IAF. The capabilities were also validated during Operation Gagan Shakti.
Space: Using Satellites for Dominance
Space is one area in which India has world-class indigenous capability. However, only in recent years has the country’s large constellation of satellites been tapped for military use. The number of ISRO satellites that can be used for military purposes is 14 (China has 25 purely military satellites). These satellites have surveillance and mapping capabilities, and can be used to monitor enemies along the land and sea borders. In 2018, the IAF received its first dedicated military satellite, the GSAT-7A which allows the service to interlink different ground radar stations, airbases and AWACS aircraft. It has boosted the IAF’s network-centric warfare capabilities and enhanced its global operations.
The satellite-based dedicated Defence Communications Network, built by HCL provided secure and reliable inter-service communications, giving military-grade accuracy to the navigation and targeting capabilities of airborne platforms, thus multiplying their effectiveness.
Air Defence
A robust air defence is a force multiplier because it forces the adversary to set aside aircraft to tackle this threat, meaning that fewer aircraft are available to the adversary to defend its airspace.
Pakistani aircraft seeking to attack important cities and war potential targets would have to evade as many as 20 Indian air defence regiments. Defence analyst J A Khan writes in Air Power And Challenges To IAF, “Although SAMs are not as potent as they are sometimes made out to be, when barrage-fired they can be lethal enough for weapons of their kind. The amazing lesson of the Yom Kippur War for the IAF was that the largest single cause of Israeli aircraft loss outside of counter-air attacks was nothing more powerful than anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), primarily the ZSU-23-4 radar-guided system. India has extensively deployed the ZSU-23-4 for battlefield support, in addition to the L70 radar-guided Bofors. It was precisely the mix of SAM, AAA and counter-air attacks within the Syrian-Egyptian air defence system that made possible the AAA kills – a lesson that has not been lost on the IAF.”
India is currently in a sweeping modernisation of its air defence network, inducting thousands of indigenous Akash SAMs, which are being supplemented by the Russian S-400 Triumf air defence system. A Triumf regiment based in Punjab has the potential to take out a Pakistan aircraft flying over Sargodha in just over a minute. Once India acquires this missile, PAF jets will be forced to operate well clear of the Indian border. The S-400 missile defence system, if successfully integrated with the Indian air defence network, can make flying a hazardous job for enemy pilots.
– The writer is a globally cited defence analyst. His work has been published by leading think tanks, and quoted extensively in books on diplomacy, counter terrorism, warfare and economic development. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
–The writer is a globally cited defence analyst. His work has been published by leading think tanks, and quoted extensively in books on diplomacy, counter terrorism, warfare and economic development. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
