Military & Aerospace

Airlift Capability of the Indian Air Force
Star Rating Loader Please wait...
Issue Vol. 28.1 Jan-Mar 2013 | Date : 09 Apr , 2013

C-17 Globemaster

The most important deal to be finalised in the recent past has been the $4.1 billion (Rs 22,550 crore) order for ten four-engine C-17 Globemaster III heavy lift aircraft manufactured by Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Being acquired through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme of the government of the United States, the first aircraft is scheduled to arrive by June 2013 and all ten are expected to be with the IAF by the end of 2014. The IAF has plans to order six more bringing the fleet strength to 16. Although numerically almost the same as that of the existing fleet of IL76 aircraft, with a capability of the C17 Globemaster III to lift 77 tonnes as against 43 tonnes of the IL76, the overall strategic airlift capability of the IAF will be substantially enhanced. Apart from the fact that the C17 Globemaster III with full load of 77 tonnes i.e. at its maximum all-up weight, can operate from airstrips as short as 3,000 feet, the new fleet would provide the IAF transcontinental range covering 2,420 nautical miles. With in-flight refuelling, the range would be considerably higher.

Practically the whole of the transport fleet currently on the inventory of the IAF has been overtaken by obsolescence…

The fleet of C17, which is regarded as the most advanced military aircraft in the world today, would be ideally suited for not only power projection in any part of the world but also for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief operations and emergency evacuation of Indian citizens abroad from areas in turmoil. Given India’s aspirations to be a superpower, the IAF would have to substantially enlarge the fleet of strategic airlift aircraft on its inventory.

Prior to the C17 deal, in 2008, the IAF placed orders for six C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft powered by four turboprop engines. Manufactured by US aerospace major Lockheed Martin, once again the aircraft were procured by the IAF through the FMS route for $1.059 billion (Rs 5,825 crore). Although the C130 was conceived in the early 1950s, the Super Hercules C130J model is a radically different platform. Customised specifically for India for Special Operations, these aircraft are capable of all routine operational transport tasks and have been in service with the IAF for nearly two years now.

For Special Operations, the aircraft is equipped with systems to facilitate highly accurate navigation in complete darkness at low level without the help from ground-based radio/navigational aids and deliver Special Forces on target with devastating accuracy. The IAF has placed orders for another six machines thus making up one full squadron strength. Like the C17, the Super Hercules too is an extremely versatile machine. With maximum payload capacity of just over 19 tonnes, the aircraft can operate from short, semi-prepared runways and has an unrefueled range of 2,835 nautical miles. Although generally categorised as a tactical transport aircraft, capability-wise it can well undertake strategic airlift tasks as well.

UAC-HAL Il-214 Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA)

Apart from the strategic airlift capability, the IAF needs a complete revamp of its fleet of tactical transport aircraft. The 100 odd six-tonne payload capacity AN32 aircraft acquired beginning in the mid eighties, are currently undergoing mid-life upgrade and would have to be replaced by around 2022. HAL has entered into an agreement with United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia for a joint venture project dubbed as the UAC/HAL Il-214 Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA). The project involves design, development and manufacture of a 20-tonne class, twin-jet, high wing, T-Tail, rear loading military transport aircraft to replace the ageing fleet of AN32 aircraft. The project is moving forward albeit at a slow pace and the maiden flight of the prototype is expected in 2014 followed by entry into service a few years later, hopefully before the end of the decade. The IAF is to receive 45 of these machines initially, but more of these may be procured subsequently.

When compared with the combat fleet, the IAF’s efforts at modernisation in the transport aircraft segment have been of a relatively lower order…

Although categorised as ‘tactical’, the MTA, like the C130J, would also nudge the strategic envelope. There is, therefore, a need to equip the tactical transport aircraft fleet with aircraft of lower payload capacity and range. These would be required for tasks such as insertion of troops into dropping zones of restricted length as part of airborne assault operations, decoy missions, resupply operations, air maintenance of troops deployed in the forward locations of the North-east where the aircraft would have to operate from short advanced landing grounds or drop supplies in small size dropping zones in the mountainous regions. For such tasks it would not be prudent to employ the C17, the C130J Super Hercules or the MTA as these are in the 20-tonne or higher payload capacity.

For such tasks, the IAF will require a fleet of aircraft with payload capability ranging between five to around ten tonnes, constituting the third segment of the fleet. Aircraft in this category operational around the world are the Alenia C-27J Spartan, the EADS CASA C-235 and the C-295 manufactured by Airbus Military in Spain. All these are twin engine, high wing turboprop military aircraft.

The fleet of 50 odd HS 748 Avro twin engine transport aircraft acquired in the 1960s has, for some time, been overdue for replacement. In response to a proposal by the IAF, the Indian Ministry of Defence has cleared a proposal worth over Rs 12,000 crore to procure through global tender, 56 transport aircraft to replace the outdated Avro fleet. As HAL is already preoccupied with several mega projects and the MMRCA contract is imminent, this project has been opened to the Indian aerospace industry in the private sector.

Private sector companies would have the option to seek a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer to licence manufacture the selected aircraft in India. Options would be to select an aircraft that is already operational or design and develop a new machine, the latter being a more tedious option. The project calls for the first 16 aircraft to be procured off-the-shelf from a foreign vendor who will have to partner with an Indian aerospace company in the private sector. The next 16 aircraft will have to have 30 per cent indigenous component while the remaining 24 aircraft will have 60 per cent locally produced items.

C-295

On the face of it, a fleet size of 56 aircraft does not appear large enough to justify the huge investment required to establish infrastructure to design, develop and manufacture a new aircraft. Unless the size of the order is enlarged to around 250 machines through orders for export, the private sector may not be easily forthcoming and too eager to grab this opportunity. A viable option may be to identify an aircraft in the global market that is compliant with the Qualitative Requirements formulated by the IAF and involve a competent private sector company in India for assembly. Manufacturing of components and sub-assemblies may be outsourced to local firms with the appropriate infrastructure and expertise. The three aircraft in this class currently operational in the world and listed earlier, are the Alenia C-27J Spartan, the EADS CASA C-235 and the C-295. These could be evaluated as replacement for the Avro fleet.

There has undoubtedly been considerable progress in the recent past in the effort at modernisation of the transport fleet. However, much more needs to be accomplished and quickly. The IAF requires credible airlift capability not only during war but more so for the projection of power in peacetime.

1 2
Rate this Article
Star Rating Loader Please wait...
The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the Indian Defence Review.

About the Author

More by the same author

Post your Comment

2000characters left