Medium Transport Aircraft to be procured will replace AN-32 and IL-76 fleets of IAF

The AN-32 is the workhorse of the IAF with over 100 aircraft in service and the IL-76 with over 40 tonne load capacity is in the heavy lift category

The Medium Transport Aircraft, in the 18-30 tonne category, that is planned to be procured by the Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to be a common replacement for the aging AN-32 and IL-76 transport aircraft fleet.

The AN-32 is the workhorse of the IAF with over 100 aircraft in service and the IL-76 with over 40 tonne load capacity is in the heavy lift category. A combined replacement shows the changing transport requirements of the force.

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“As far as the MTA is concerned, the fleet that is aging is the AN-32 and IL-76. We need to find a replacement for these. The decision that has been taken is we will go for a common aircraft of 18-30 tonnes and for that the RFI has been issued. We have not shortlisted which aircraft we will be going for,” IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said on Thursday.

The IAF issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a MTA in December 2022 with a load carrying capacity between 18 to 30 tonnes for up to 80 aircraft. A comprehensive study was also carried out to identify the current and future payload carrying requirements of the force. There are three responses to the RFI which include Airbus A-400M, Lockheed Martin C-130 and Embraer C-390. Among them, the A-400M has a maximum carrying capacity of 37 tonnes, the C-130 close to 20 tonnes and the C-390 can carry up to 26 tonnes.

The 2020 standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh has changed the nature of airlift and the support for the Army required in high altitude areas. There is a huge gap in carrying capacities at the moment with the current aircraft which needs to adjusted, as reported earlier.

The transport fleet of the IAF currently consists of over 100 AN-32s, 56 AVROs in the process of being replaced with the Airbus C-295, IL-76 heavy transports, and IL-78 mid-air refuelling tankers from Russia, 12 C-130J Super Hercules and 11 C-17 Globemaster strategic airlift aircraft from the U.S. Of these, the IL-76 has a capacity to list 45-50 tonnes and the C-17 up to 70 tonnes.

As the deal makes progress, U.S. defence major Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) announced collaboration for establishing a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India to support the IAF’s fleet of 12 C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft as well as other global C-130J fleets.

Similarly, Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer Defense & Security and Mahindra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly bid for the MTA tender.

The MTA fits a critical requirement of the Army which is looking on the process of procuring a light tank weighing up to 25 tonnes for deployment in the mountains especially in Eastern Ladakh. So, IAF needs sizeable number of aircraft to airlift them.

In September 2021, the Defence Ministry signed a ₹21,935 crore contract with Airbus and Space S.A., Spain for procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft, with a capacity of nine tonnes, to replace the Avro aircraft in service.

While the RFI did not specify the number of MTA required, vendors have been asked to provide “Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost of aircraft and associated equipment” for a batch of 40, 60 and 80 aircraft. With the IAF deciding to make MTA replacement for both AN-32 and IL-76, clarity on the numbers is now awaited.

Published - October 05, 2024 10:33 pm IST