Turnaround at the IAF

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For folks who follow these sorts of things, one depressing, ongoing set of statistics from the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been it’s horrible, almost Soviet safety record. For example, back in 1999, Rediff headlined –

IAF has one of the highest accident rates in the world

The staggeringly high number of crashes involving Indian Air Force planes, especially the MiG variant fighters, is due to the lack of advance jet trainers, inadequate maintenance and inefficient technical upgradation of the fighters, say senior air force officials. The air force has lost at least 20 fighters in the last nine months, most of them being MiG-21s flown by young officers just out of the Air Force Academy.

…Air force sources admitted that IAF has one of the highest accident rates in the world and that most of the ill-fated pilots – it has lost over 85 pilots in the last one decade – were very young officers.

When it comes to the complex relationship between a military and the underlying society & culture that support it, I’m a classicist — I don’t necessarily believe the trite aphorism that Might makes Right. And I certainly don’t agree with the reverse, victim-glorifying post-modern formulation – Might makes Wrong. But I do contend that the Right can build physical Might.

In other words, the processes and culture necessary to support a strong, effective modern military are many of the same attributes which drive economic and social success…. do folks know how to work together? accept responsibility? solve physical / technical problems? adhere to process when necessary? improvise when necessary? build durable institutions? separate productive “values” from unproductive “dogma”? put mission & institution ahead of self? and so on.

This topic can be debated at length and to be sure, many PhD’s and books have been minted on the subject. “Exceptions that make the rule” certainly abound and provide ample fodder for examining the argument’s nuances. But, supposing for a second that you buy the Romantic narrative here, I argue that the latest round of data from the IAF provides yet another reason to be optimistic about the cultural sea change sweeping India –

January 3, 2007: The Indian Air Force has not lost a single MiG-21 in an accident in the last twelve months. This is a surprise, given that Indian Air Force MiG-21s have had a very high rate of accidents in the past. The current lack of losses is no fluke, though. India has reduced its accident rate by 75 percent over the last 30 years. How is this possible? The answer lies partially in the evolution of the Indian Air Force into one of the premier air fleets in the world today….

…the MiG-21 problems were overcome in 2006…Having planes and pilots are nice, but they need to be backed up by a sufficient maintenance/logistics base.

There’s an old military rule of thumb that amateurs study strategy while experts study logistics (and it’s close cousin maintenance). And anyone who’s spent enough time in da homeland knows that back in the day, it would have been laughable to compliment India on anything “logistical” much less commend it for becoming world class. As a classicist, I take heart that the same desi cultural stock visible in the transformation of the IAF is necessarily affecting India’s presence in the world economy and it’s social / political life at home.

11 thoughts on “Turnaround at the IAF”

  1. it is all nice and good but isn’t it a little bit premature to come to that conclusion after long time of bad safety record?

  2. But I do contend that the Right can build physical Might. In other words, the processes and culture necessary to support a strong, effective modern military are many of the same attributes which drive economic and social success

    I could conceivably agree with all that, except for “in other words.” I see no connection between the first statement and the second one. Unless you’re equating “right” with “economic and social success.” Then we’d have to unpack the second phrase–what is “social” success?

    I catch a whiff of circular reasoning here: economic success is social success, and that’s what’s right, but economic success tends to come through might, which can be built by being right, which comes about from economic success, etc

    I guess my question is philosophical: what’s your idea of a good society, Vinod? Especially the question of what makes a society socially successful. My curiousity on this point is genuine.

  3. what makes a society socially successful

    A clarification. I don’t mean “how does a society achieve social success” but rather “what are the features we would observe in a society that would make us call it socially successful.”

    thankin’ yew…

  4. The Mig21 is a piece of a junk. Good to see, however, that its problems have been fixed and its even better to see the IAF is transitioning from the Russian/Chinese style of just ramming large numbers of planes/troops/tanks down your throats to a Western style of tech-based, logistics-based combat. Getting those couple AWACs, for example, is much beter for the armed forces than an entire squadron of su-30s

  5. A society is successful when its women can wear whatever they wish to wear without being blamed for all the ills in that society. When they don’t have to be all bundled up in scorching heat but can wear shorts and a halter top and not be accused of being the cause of their own rape. A society wherein women can go to the beach in bikinis rather than the much less functional attire of rolled up trousers and long sleeved shirts.

  6. When it comes to the complex relationship between a military and the underlying society & culture that support it, IÂ’m a classicist — I donÂ’t necessarily believe the trite aphorism that Might makes Right. And I certainly donÂ’t agree with the reverse, victim-glorifying post-modern formulation – Might makes Wrong. But I do contend that the Right can build physical Might.

    No sir, not at all. Israel is a glaring example. See whose land it was, till the British inked the Balfour Declaration. Let me offer the opposite hypothesis: Physical might builds right.

    You havent defined ‘right’. ‘Might’ – we all can see. But we do not know what is right. By right do you mean ‘free market’?

    In other words, the processes and culture necessary to support a strong, effective modern military are many of the same attributes which drive economic and social successÂ…. do folks know how to work together?

    Intriguing question. My hypothesis is communities that know how to organize will reap benefits. The organization has to get legitimacy. The best way to do that is to cover your core emotions with a cloak of dehumanized bureaucracy. Never do this in public.

    [ Granted, there are more Jewish Nobel Laureates than any other community has ever produced. That then begs the question: is knowledge that powerful?]

  7. A society is successful when its women can wear whatever they wish to wear without being blamed for all the ills in that society. When they don’t have to be all bundled up in scorching heat but can wear shorts and a halter top and not be accused of being the cause of their own rape. A society wherein women can go to the beach in bikinis rather than the much less functional attire of rolled up trousers and long sleeved shirts.

    Huh, where did THAT come from? Troll alert, SM Intern?

  8. That thing is a flying coffin. I have heard a personal account from a Mig-21 pilot who lost his canopy in mid-flight. They’re supposed to be replaced in 2010 by the LCA.

    Also, we’ve jinxed the whole thing by mentioning it…

  10. A society is successful when its women can wear whatever they wish to wear without being blamed for all the ills in that society. When they don’t have to be all bundled up in scorching heat but can wear shorts and a halter top and not be accused of being the cause of their own rape. A society wherein women can go to the beach in bikinis rather than the much less functional attire of rolled up trousers and long sleeved shirts.

    What point are you trying to make, that flying metal phalluses set back women’s rights ? I completely agree that in a well functioning society protects the liberty of its women, but what does that have to do with this post ?

    Back to the topic, as an Indian I’m happy to see some progress in this area of defense. However the military procurement process is still shockingly corrupt…I don’t see any sign of change even after Tehelka-gate, Bofors etc.

  11. As an ex-IAF family person (no longer family has any active IAF member now, but had in past), I am happy to read that IAF has improved its safety record. Growing up we looked up to those who went to the IAF and became fighter pilot. One such boy from our school who went to be an IAF pilot came to the school to give a lecture and school honored him.