Foreign Policy magazine claimed Pakistan's F-16s were found to be intact after a count by US defence personnel, which goes against India's position that it downed one of the jets on 27 February.
Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa says IAF not in business of counting casualties, refuses to comment on PM Modi's claim that Rafale would've changed outcome.
Several Pakistan media outlets reported this week that Lockheed Martin was planning to sue India over its claims that a MiG-21 Bison of the IAF had shot down an F-16.
Mamdani’s politics feels unusual compared to India’s current climate. He unapologetically foregrounds Muslim identity at a time when doing so in India invites scrutiny.
On 4 November 2025, NCLAT bench, comprising Chairperson Justice Ashok Bhushan and Member Arun Baroka, noted that WhatsApp and Meta are distinct legal entities.
This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.
Full & final comment on HAL by nationalist is they shld update & upgrade their speed of work which is not at all commendable. If they love their Nation, they must speed up their ability. We’ve heard when Pakistan was approaching our Khemkaran Sector along with their Paton tanks in 1965 , our Shell’s were not able to penetrate them, immediately the professors of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering department of Jadhavpur University came up with a shell which could melt down the steel chains of Paton tanks. Firing those shells immediately manufactured by the Kashipur Gun & she’ll factory, Calcutta & delivered to the war zone.
Why not HAL cannot do the same?
Nothing Wrong in MIG27
And MIG29 aircraft’s as India needs deep strike Ground assault along with Mirage upgrades
MIG 21 crash stastics and pilots lost life is major concern let’s scrap 2022 and pilot is more important than the Flight
I think LCA MK1 will be the more lethal and safety for Indian pilots getting Quick Quality And Quantity delivery is must now
More MK1 And mk1A will be the need of Hour for IAF
BY going in for upgrades the IAF has made cost effective decisions that helped conserve national resources.
Even today the upgraded MIrage and MIG aircraft are formidable.The Sukhoi upgrades will also stand us in good stead for next 20 years.
There were three regrettable problems that have cost the IAF dearly and left it behind our adversaries :
a. The ten year delay in bringing the Tejas into service.
b. The atrocious decision by UPA to drop the purchase of the Rafale with full technology transfer in 2012-13.
c. An equally bad decision by NDA to get only 36 Rafale in 2016 , without tech transfer.
Hopefully the BJP Govt will see the error of its ways and sign on for full manufacture of the Rafale, while taking delivery of the first 36 in flyaway condition.
There is a lot of talk about India’s outdated fleet of fighter planes. Whereas the fact is that the country is sweating its assets by going in for cost effective retrofits and upgradations in lieu of capital intensive new hardware. If a suitably upgraded fleet manned by capable fighter pilots can handle the job, why should the country hold back from such an option where scarce resources are put to more productive use elsewhere? New equipment can always be added as soon as resources permit.
IAF seems to be hosting a live museum of antique flying machines. How did we end up in this condition? It would seem that once a decade, at least about a third of the machines have to be phased out so that none is used beyond 30 years. Flyers are more valuable than the flying machines.
The first MiG-21 F-13s (also known as Type 74s) arrived in October 1963. So the IAF’s ‘love affair’ with the MiG-21s have lasted over 50 years.
MiG-21 (Type 76) was added in 1965.
HAL started the manufacturing of the MiG-21 (Type 77) by 1971. Over a period of time, the IAF acquired nearly 250 Type 77s.
The aircraft distinguished itself in the 71 operations, but the IAF faced several issues about the Type 77 that were a source of concern. So, HAL moved to making the Type 96. In the interest of quick deployment, two squadrons of the MiG-21 Type 96 were procured.
Till the late 70s the Type 96 was the mainstay of the IAF, and had over 220 aircraft of this type.
The MiG-21 Bis joined the IAF in 1980. The IAF had nearly 300 of this variant.
On ‘retirement, the LCA was to be the replacement of these aircraft. But on account of inordinate delays in the LCA program, it was decided to upgrade the MiG-21 Bis.
The proposal for upgrade of 125 MiG Bis aircraft with an option toupgrade 50 more, was cleared in January 1996. This would be done by MiG MAPO (Moscow Aviation Production Assn.)
HAL initially dispatched 2 aircraft to Russia in May 1996. The program was delayed by more than 2 years and also faced steep cost overruns. The 2 MiG-21 bis fighters were upgraded in Russia over a period of more than 3 years and returned to the country in July 2001, after completion of extensive flight tests.
Though the airframe and engine were the same, MiG pilots termed the aircraft upgrade as ‘fantastic’. They were most impressed by the avionics, the improved visibility of the new ‘frame less’ windshield, the new Helmet Mounted Sighting System, which meant simpler workload on the pilot, the multifunctional displays and new weapons, which incl. BVR missiles.
As of 2019, 113 upgraded MiG-21s bis are operational with the IAF.
Why if Raga is silent doesn’t mean we the tax payer’s have to keep silent. We have all right to seek answers on pricing etc. The IAF is short supply, the government has to hasten the process and get aircraft much faster.
In other words, lets Delay!
The author has bad information all thru the article. He missed to say that if the same plane, if their life left then has been upgraded like MIG-21 or Jaguar or even Avro. They are good in flying as a MIG -21 proved on February 27. US B-52 have been flying for 70 years, of course after upgrades and newest to be upgraded and will be pressed into service is Warthog. It has spent close to 50 years and will be upgraded for at least 20 years of more service.
This author of the lead article should stop listening to arms dealer who make money by selling newer planes.
It is possible that the Navy and the Army too are getting by with a lot of improvisation. The first CDS may be pleased to sit with his three Chiefs and senior mandarins from MoD and MoF, to prepare a perspective plan for capital acquisitions for the three services, stretching over the next to fifteen years. How much the government can realistically allocate for Defence – based on various alternative rates of growth for the economy – and, of that, how much can be spent on weapons could be worked out. It would be a difficult exercise.
Full & final comment on HAL by nationalist is they shld update & upgrade their speed of work which is not at all commendable. If they love their Nation, they must speed up their ability. We’ve heard when Pakistan was approaching our Khemkaran Sector along with their Paton tanks in 1965 , our Shell’s were not able to penetrate them, immediately the professors of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering department of Jadhavpur University came up with a shell which could melt down the steel chains of Paton tanks. Firing those shells immediately manufactured by the Kashipur Gun & she’ll factory, Calcutta & delivered to the war zone.
Why not HAL cannot do the same?
Nothing Wrong in MIG27
And MIG29 aircraft’s as India needs deep strike Ground assault along with Mirage upgrades
MIG 21 crash stastics and pilots lost life is major concern let’s scrap 2022 and pilot is more important than the Flight
I think LCA MK1 will be the more lethal and safety for Indian pilots getting Quick Quality And Quantity delivery is must now
More MK1 And mk1A will be the need of Hour for IAF
BY going in for upgrades the IAF has made cost effective decisions that helped conserve national resources.
Even today the upgraded MIrage and MIG aircraft are formidable.The Sukhoi upgrades will also stand us in good stead for next 20 years.
There were three regrettable problems that have cost the IAF dearly and left it behind our adversaries :
a. The ten year delay in bringing the Tejas into service.
b. The atrocious decision by UPA to drop the purchase of the Rafale with full technology transfer in 2012-13.
c. An equally bad decision by NDA to get only 36 Rafale in 2016 , without tech transfer.
Hopefully the BJP Govt will see the error of its ways and sign on for full manufacture of the Rafale, while taking delivery of the first 36 in flyaway condition.
There is a lot of talk about India’s outdated fleet of fighter planes. Whereas the fact is that the country is sweating its assets by going in for cost effective retrofits and upgradations in lieu of capital intensive new hardware. If a suitably upgraded fleet manned by capable fighter pilots can handle the job, why should the country hold back from such an option where scarce resources are put to more productive use elsewhere? New equipment can always be added as soon as resources permit.
IAF seems to be hosting a live museum of antique flying machines. How did we end up in this condition? It would seem that once a decade, at least about a third of the machines have to be phased out so that none is used beyond 30 years. Flyers are more valuable than the flying machines.
The first MiG-21 F-13s (also known as Type 74s) arrived in October 1963. So the IAF’s ‘love affair’ with the MiG-21s have lasted over 50 years.
MiG-21 (Type 76) was added in 1965.
HAL started the manufacturing of the MiG-21 (Type 77) by 1971. Over a period of time, the IAF acquired nearly 250 Type 77s.
The aircraft distinguished itself in the 71 operations, but the IAF faced several issues about the Type 77 that were a source of concern. So, HAL moved to making the Type 96. In the interest of quick deployment, two squadrons of the MiG-21 Type 96 were procured.
Till the late 70s the Type 96 was the mainstay of the IAF, and had over 220 aircraft of this type.
The MiG-21 Bis joined the IAF in 1980. The IAF had nearly 300 of this variant.
On ‘retirement, the LCA was to be the replacement of these aircraft. But on account of inordinate delays in the LCA program, it was decided to upgrade the MiG-21 Bis.
The proposal for upgrade of 125 MiG Bis aircraft with an option toupgrade 50 more, was cleared in January 1996. This would be done by MiG MAPO (Moscow Aviation Production Assn.)
HAL initially dispatched 2 aircraft to Russia in May 1996. The program was delayed by more than 2 years and also faced steep cost overruns. The 2 MiG-21 bis fighters were upgraded in Russia over a period of more than 3 years and returned to the country in July 2001, after completion of extensive flight tests.
Though the airframe and engine were the same, MiG pilots termed the aircraft upgrade as ‘fantastic’. They were most impressed by the avionics, the improved visibility of the new ‘frame less’ windshield, the new Helmet Mounted Sighting System, which meant simpler workload on the pilot, the multifunctional displays and new weapons, which incl. BVR missiles.
As of 2019, 113 upgraded MiG-21s bis are operational with the IAF.
What happened to RAGA? He is silent of Rafale now.
Why if Raga is silent doesn’t mean we the tax payer’s have to keep silent. We have all right to seek answers on pricing etc. The IAF is short supply, the government has to hasten the process and get aircraft much faster.
In other words, lets Delay!
The author has bad information all thru the article. He missed to say that if the same plane, if their life left then has been upgraded like MIG-21 or Jaguar or even Avro. They are good in flying as a MIG -21 proved on February 27. US B-52 have been flying for 70 years, of course after upgrades and newest to be upgraded and will be pressed into service is Warthog. It has spent close to 50 years and will be upgraded for at least 20 years of more service.
This author of the lead article should stop listening to arms dealer who make money by selling newer planes.
Lets bring back spitfire
It is possible that the Navy and the Army too are getting by with a lot of improvisation. The first CDS may be pleased to sit with his three Chiefs and senior mandarins from MoD and MoF, to prepare a perspective plan for capital acquisitions for the three services, stretching over the next to fifteen years. How much the government can realistically allocate for Defence – based on various alternative rates of growth for the economy – and, of that, how much can be spent on weapons could be worked out. It would be a difficult exercise.