According to the Global Air Powers Ranking (2022), the current ranking of various armed air services across the globe, released by the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA), the Indian Air Force (IAF) has secured the 6th Global Rank.
IAF has emerged as the 3rd strongest Air Force, only after the United States Air Force(USAF) and Russian Air Force.
Note:
The 2022 ranking has tracked 124 air services, which includes Army, Navy, and Marine branches of service where applicable, of 98 countries and following a total of 47,840 aircraft.
Global Air Powers Ranking (2022):
Top 5:
| Global Rank | Air Service | TrueValueRating(TvR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The United States Air Force(USAF) | 242.9 |
| 2 | The United States Navy | 142.4 |
| 3 | Russian Air Force | 114.2 |
| 4 | The United States Army Aviation | 112.6 |
| 5 | The United States Marine Corps | 85.3 |
Rankings of Indian armed air services:
| Global Rank | Air Service | TrueValueRating(TvR) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Indian Air Force | 69.4 |
| 28 | Indian Naval Aviation | 41.2 |
| 36 | Indian Army Aviation | 30.0 |
Highlights of the 2022 ranking:
According to the report IAF has overtaken the Chinese Air Force; Japan Air Self-Defense Force; the Israeli Air Force; and the French Air and Space Force in terms of strength.
Key Points:
i.WDMMA utilises a formula that accounts for the values related to the total fighting strength of various air services of the world.
ii.This formula produces the ‘TrueValueRating’ (TvR) which helps to separate each power based on, overall strength, modernization, logistical support, attack and defence capabilities and others.
iii.The highest attainable TvR score is 242.9 held by the USAF.
Note: The formula produces the ‘TrueValueRating’ (TvR) helping to definitively separate each power based on – not only overall strength – but modernization, logistical support, attack and defense capabilities and so on.
Overview of the capabilities of IAF:
i.The Indian Air Force currently has 1645 total units in its active aircraft inventory which includes, Fighters (632 units); Helicopters (438 units); Transports (250 units); Trainers (304 units); Aerial Tankers/Refuelers (7 units); and Special-Mission (14 units).
ii.The United States of America, Russia and France are the Primary suppliers of the IAF.
