[🇧🇩-Airforce] Bangladesh Air Force and how it is viewed by Indian Air Force.

[Saif]

India to Operationalize 5 Airbases on 3 Sides of Bangladesh | MUNA Bulletin

To enhance regional connectivity and ensure strategic security in the states bordering Bangladesh, the Indian government has taken the initiative to revive five abandoned airstrips/airbases from World War II.

eng.munabulletin.com

India to Operationalize 5 Airbases on 3 Sides of Bangladesh

To enhance regional connectivity and ensure strategic security in the states bordering Bangladesh, the Indian government has taken the initiative to revive five abandoned airstrips/airbases from World War II.

The main objective of renovating these bases located in West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura is to further strengthen the protection of India’s extremely sensitive “Siliguri Corridor” or “Chicken’s Neck”.

According to a report by The Times of India, this initiative has been taken at a time when diplomatic relations with neighbouring Bangladesh are at their lowest point in history. New Delhi is currently unwilling to take any kind of risk regarding the security of this narrow corridor, which is the only land connection between Northeast India and the mainland.

Defence analysts see Bangladesh’s initiative to reconstruct the Lalmonirhat airbase in the Rangpur division as a major reason behind India’s activity. Since the Lalmonirhat airbase is located very close to India’s Siliguri Corridor, concerns have arisen in Indian military circles.

Although the Bangladesh government has officially stated that this airbase will be used only for its own national needs, according to Indian sources, India is also revamping its military preparations to handle any sudden situation in the border area. Already, three new army bases have been established in areas bordering West Bengal and Bihar, and the process of activating these five airstrips is part of those military preparations.

According to the plan, the airstrips to be renovated are Ambari and Panga in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal; Balurghat in South Dinajpur; Jhaljhalia in Malda; and Dhubri in Assam. Prior to this, Koch Bihar and Rupsi Airport in Assam had been successfully activated.

Currently, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has handed over the responsibility of the airfields in West Bengal to the state government.

However, defence sources have indicated that there are several technical challenges in making these abandoned airstrips usable again. Due to being unused for several decades, many airfields are now covered in dense jungles, the runways have broken down and become damaged, and in some cases, settlements have developed around the runways.

Consequently, although they are currently not suitable for large combat aircraft operations, efforts are underway to make them usable for landing helicopters or small military aircraft in emergencies through minor repairs.​

 

[Bilal9]

In India’s eastern sector - Indian airbases near Bangladesh is primarily covered by Dassault Rafale and Sukhoi Su-30MKI squadrons at bases such as Hasimara and Tezpur.

If Bangladesh acquires:

• JF-17 Thunder from Pakistan,
• Chengdu J-10C from China,
• and potentially Eurofighter Typhoon,

then the balance would shift significantly compared to today — but not necessarily overturn India’s advantage outright.

Here’s the realistic strategic assessment.

Current Bangladesh–India Air Balance​

Today, India has a large qualitative and quantitative edge over Bangladesh.

India’s advantages:

• Much larger fleet size
• More AWACS/AEW aircraft
• Better tanker support
• Integrated air defense network
• Combat experience and doctrine
• Rafale + Meteor missile capability
• Larger Su-30MKI fleet
• Better ISR/satellite coverage

Bangladesh currently relies mostly on:

• Older Mikoyan MiG-29 variants
• Chengdu F-7 derivatives
• Limited force projection

So the present balance strongly favors India.

Scenario 1: Bangladesh Acquires JF-17​

If Bangladesh buys the latest Block III version of the JF-17:

What changes?​

The Block III introduces:

• AESA radar
• Modern cockpit/HMD
• Improved electronic warfare
• PL-15 long-range missile compatibility

Strategic impact​

This would:

• Replace obsolete Bangladeshi fighters
• Give Bangladesh credible BVR capability
• Improve interception and defensive patrols

But:

• The JF-17 is still lighter and less capable overall than Rafale or Su-30MKI.
• India’s numerical superiority remains overwhelming.

Net result​

Bangladesh becomes harder to dominate quickly, but India still retains clear air superiority.

Think of it as:

Bangladesh gains “credible denial capability,” not “regional dominance.”

Scenario 2: Bangladesh Acquires J-10C​

This is a much bigger shift.

The Chengdu J-10C is a serious 4.5-generation aircraft comparable in some areas to Rafale-class fighters.

Key strengths:

• AESA radar
• Advanced EW systems
• High agility
• PL-15 very long-range missile
• Modern datalink integration

Why this matters strategically​

Bangladesh’s geography is extremely compact.

Indian eastern airbases like:

• Hasimara
• Kalaikunda
• Bagdogra

are relatively close to Bangladeshi airspace.

That means:

• Bangladeshi fighters could rapidly scramble
• Ground radar coverage overlaps heavily
• Missile engagement windows become short and intense

With J-10Cs:

• India could no longer assume uncontested air superiority over Bangladesh.
• Indian strike packages would require heavier escort and EW support.
• Bangladesh could contest eastern-sector airspace more effectively.

But India still retains major advantages:​

• More fighters overall
• Better support assets
• Rafale + Meteor combination
• Better pilot training ecosystem
• Layered IADS and S-400 coverage

So:

The balance shifts from “India dominates” to “India dominates with caution.”

Missile Factor: Meteor vs PL-15​

This is critical.

India’s Rafales use:

• MBDA Meteor

China’s J-10C uses:

• PL-15

These are among the world’s top BVR missiles.

The side with:

• better AWACS,
• electronic warfare,
• sensor fusion,
• pilot training,

usually wins — not just the missile itself.

India currently has an advantage in the supporting ecosystem.

Scenario 3: Bangladesh Acquires Eurofighter Typhoon​

This changes the equation much more dramatically.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is among the best air-superiority fighters in the world.

If equipped with:

• Meteor missiles
• modern EW suites
• Captor-E AESA radar

then Bangladesh would possess a genuinely elite air combat capability.

How Eurofighter Changes the Balance​

1. India loses clear qualitative superiority​

Currently:

• Rafale is arguably superior to anything Bangladesh fields.

But Typhoon + Meteor:

• approaches parity with Rafale in many combat dimensions,
• and exceeds Su-30MKI in several areas.

2. Eastern Indian airbases become more vulnerable​

Bangladesh could:

• conduct deeper air denial missions,
• threaten Indian airborne assets,
• complicate Indian air operations over eastern India.

This matters because eastern India has:

• narrow operational corridors,
• dense radar overlap,
• compressed reaction times.

3. Psychological and political shift​

This would be enormous.

Bangladesh would transform from:

a defensive regional air force

into:

a technologically advanced middle-tier air power.

That changes:

• deterrence,
• diplomacy,
• Indian operational planning.

But Would Bangladesh Surpass India?​

No.

Even with Eurofighter acquisition, India still retains:

• larger industrial base,
• much larger fleet,
• AWACS advantage,
• tanker fleet,
• nuclear triad,
• integrated command systems,
• larger missile inventory,
• broader strategic depth.

India’s overall airpower ecosystem remains significantly larger.

The Real Strategic Outcome​

The biggest change is not “Bangladesh defeats India.”

The real change is:

India would lose the ability to easily dominate Bangladesh’s airspace.​

That is strategically significant.

Bangladesh with:

• J-10C or Eurofighter,
• strong SAM network,
• modern EW,
• networked radar,

could create a serious:

anti-access / air-denial bubble

over its territory.

That forces India into:

• higher-cost operations,
• more cautious escalation,
• larger force commitments.

Most Realistic Ranking of Balance Shift​

Current situation​

India overwhelmingly superior.

Bangladesh gets JF-17​

India still dominant.

Bangladesh gets J-10C​

India superior, but contested.

Bangladesh gets Eurofighter Typhoon​

Near-regional parity in tactical air combat quality, though India still superior overall strategically.

One More Important Reality​

Air wars today are not won by fighters alone.


The decisive factors are:

• AWACS
• EW
• satellites
• cyber warfare
• pilot training
• logistics
• runway survivability
• missile stockpiles
• network integration

A small number of elite fighters alone does not overturn the balance unless supported by a full combat ecosystem.


That is where India still holds a major long-term edge.