Masterstroke by Modi govt, India overtakes China to become third most powerful Air force in the world, Pakistan’s ranking is…

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has now become the third most powerful air force in the world, moving ahead of China, according to the latest rankings by the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA). The United States Air Force continues to hold the top spot, followed by Russia in second place. In the rankings, China is placed fourth.

The report shows that the TruVal Rating (TVR) which measures the overall strength and capability of an air force for the US is 242.9, Russia is 114.2, and India is 69.4. Meanwhile, China has a TVR of 63.8, followed by Japan (58.1), Israel (56.3), and both France and the UK (55.3). Pakistan stands further down the list with a TVR of 46.3.

The WDMMA report says that 31.6 per cent of India’s aircraft are fighter jets, 29 per cent are helicopters, and 21.8 per cent are trainer aircraft. Although China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has a higher percentage of fighters (52.9 per cent) and trainers (28.4 per cent), the IAF is described as a “balanced force” with strong capability in multiple areas.

At present, the IAF flies advanced 4.5-generation aircraft such as the Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, and Tejas, along with fourth-generation jets like the MiG-29 and Mirage 2000. India is also developing and planning to add more indigenous aircraft, including the LCA-Mk1A, LCA-Mk2, MRFA, and AMCA.

Meanwhile, China’s air force operates fifth-generation fighters like the J-20 and J-35, as well as 4.5-generation aircraft such as the J-10C and J-16.

What is the TruVal rating and why is it important?

The TruVal Rating (TVR) is a special system created by the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) to measure and compare the real strength of air forces across the world. Unlike simple rankings based only on the number of aircraft, the TVR looks at many detailed factors to understand how capable and ready an air force actually is.

According to WDMMA, the TVR formula considers:

  • The total number of aircraft in service
  • Their combat capabilities and technology level
  • The training and readiness of the force
  • Support and maintenance systems
  • The balance of different aircraft types (fighters, bombers, transports, helicopters, etc.)

This system gives more weight to areas that are often ignored, such as special mission aircraft, bomber fleets, close air support units (CAS), training squadrons, and aircraft on order.

The WDMMA also takes into account the country’s domestic aviation industry, how well its fleet is modernized, and the operational experience of its air force.

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