Transport Aircraft of IAF - C-130J, C-17 Globemaster, C295: Updates & Discussions

Indian Air Force may lease aerial refuelling tanker craft

The doors to leasing military hardware were opened for the first time last week with the government unveiling a draft policy on arms acquisition that allows the armed forces to go in for leased capability to cut down on costs associated with purchasing weapons and systems.


Updated: Mar 23, 2020 08:14 IST
By Rahul Singh
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
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Indian Air Force Illyushin II-MKI with Sukhoi fighters demonstrating mid-air fuelling during the show ‘Exercise Iron Fist’ on March 8, 2016, in Pokhran, Rajasthan. (HT Archive)


The Indian Air Force (IAF) is considering, for the first time, leasing aerial refuelling tanker aircraft to extend the reach of its fighter jets instead of a direct purchase against the backdrop of previous failed attempts to buy new tankers, two officers familiar with the move said on Sunday on condition of anonymity.

The doors to leasing military hardware were opened for the first time last week with the government unveiling a draft policy on arms acquisition that allows the armed forces to go in for leased capability to cut down on costs associated with purchasing weapons and systems.

“The IAF has made two attempts to buy tankers during the last decade-and-a-half. On both occasions, we were close to signing the deal but things fell through because of the high acquisition cost. Leasing is a good option to fill the capability gap,” said one of the officers cited above.

The IAF operates a fleet of six Russian-origin Ilyushin-78 tankers that are plagued by maintenance problems and the force urgently needs at least six more.

“We are finalising the requirements for the proposed lease of tankers to boost our in-flight refuelling capabilities. We are looking at aspects such as whether we should opt for a wet [the lessor provides crew and maintenance] or dry lease. Leasing will be a better option as our budget is under pressure,” said a second officer.

Leasing has been introduced in the draft Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-2020 as a new category for acquisition in addition to the existing ‘Buy’ and ‘Make’ categories in order to substitute huge initial capital outlays with periodical rental payments.

Leasing is permitted in two categories—where the lessor is an Indian entity and is the owner of the assets and where the lessor is a global entity. The provision of leasing in the draft DPP governs military equipment that is not deployed during the war—transport fleets, trainers and simulators.

“Tankers are a force multiplier and the IAF has been pressing for more inductions for the past 15 years. Finance has been and still is the issue. Leasing is a good option. It will save the flying hours of the IAF-owned aerial refuelling tanker aircraft for wars, with the leased ones doing the very substantial task of training and long ferries for exercises abroad,” said Air Vice Marshal (retired) Manmohan Bahadur, additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

According to an August 2017 Comptroller and Auditor General of India report, the desired serviceability of the Il-78 fleet should have been 70% by the IAF’s own standards but it stood at 49% during 2010-16—barely half of the planes were available for missions at any given time during that period.

American (Boeing KC-46A), Russian (Il-78) and European (A330 MRTT) military contractors were expecting the IAF to float a global tender for more tankers. Israel Aerospace Industries’ Bedek Aviation Group was also looking at participating in the contest with its Boeing 767-200 multi-mission tanker transport—a conversion of the Boeing aircraft by Bedek Aviation.

Indian Air Force may lease aerial refuelling tanker craft
 
IAF is in need for a jet powered medium lift aircraft like the C-390. So that's a more realistic option from Embraer.

There are also problems with indigenous production with Embraer even if an Indian company buys it. So the jets we buy will end up coming from Brazil. What's the point importing from Brazil?



Has something changed over the COVID days? The last I heard they had decided on 62.4% indigenisation and were pushing for 70%.
Why IAF is not pursuing for AN70?, it matches with a400's performance.
 
Fully developed but no takers not even ukrainian airforce , we can easily transfer the production line to india.we can even make AN70 as our common platform as freighter, EW, I-STAR or even AWACS.
 
Si
We already operate IL-76 in sufficient numbers.

We need something in the C-130 class. With jet engines.
I know its not a freighter specific thread. We already having c130, that too fairly brand new.IAF don't gonna order similar category freighter from other vendors. They will go for another c130 if at they required similar freighters i guess.
But what we required is another c17 glob masters or similar one and we do have requirements for additional c17 but there is no way we will get c17 further due to non existence of production line. So another choice is another strategic lifter like il76, a400 or AN70. I dont beleive neither russians or EU will transfer production line to imdia, but there is a chance for us on AN70 case. And beauty is that AN70 will easily fit for many special mission aircrafts. Its having sufficient speed, endurance, load capacity & service ceiling. It can even ha similar range that of P8I. A lot many special mission projects are under consideration of DRDO like j-star/Istar type project, maritime aircraft etc. So we can have a common platform for all which includes a strategic lifter & few other special mission aircrafts.

Problem with c390 or E2-190 of embraer is that its doesn't have sufficient endurance or pay load capacity & its a product of once black listed company.

Offtopic: Its a brazilian company & we are indians. Two giants in corruption( just kidding )
 
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Si

I know its not a freighter specific thread. We already having c130, that too fairly brand new.IAF don't gonna order similar category freighter from other vendors. They will go for another c130 if at they required similar freighters i guess.
But what we required is another c17 glob masters or similar one and we do have requirements for additional c17 but there is no way we will get c17 further due to non existence of production line. So another choice is another strategic lifter like il76, a400 or AN70. I dont beleive neither russians or EU will transfer production line to imdia, but there is a chance for us on AN70 case. And beauty is that AN70 will easily fit for many special mission aircrafts. Its having sufficient speed, endurance, load capacity & service ceiling. It can even ha similar range that of P8I. A lot many special mission projects are under consideration of DRDO like j-star/Istar type project, maritime aircraft etc. So we can have a common platform for all which includes a strategic lifter & few other special mission aircrafts.

Problem with c390 or E2-190 of embraer is that its doesn't have sufficient endurance or pay load capacity & its a product of once black listed company.

Offtopic: Its a brazilian company & we are indians. Two giants in corruption( just kidding )

I would recommend looking up the requirements for the IL-214.

Also, Embraer is up for sale.