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

Indian Air Force plans to replace aging AN-32 and IL-76 transport aircraft with a new Medium Transport Aircraft.

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 in response to a question from The Hindu 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.