sancho
ELITE MEMBER
![](/styles/default/xenforo/ranks/General.jpg)
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2009
- Messages
- 13,011
- Reaction score
- 27
- Country
- Location
I'd much rather the IAF look at the A400 now, wasn't there some article somewhere that said the IAF had showed some interest in it? I think the article was in Strapost or something. This looks like the only viable option now.
IAF impressed with Airbus A400M
- SP’s Exculsive
Options are available, be it the IL476, the A400M, the Kawasaki X2, just the AN70 might be gone now, but there is another interesting option that we can take, although I might think too far out of the box here.
Since the Russians wanted the AN 70 too and the MTA project is delayed, I wonder if we can develop it bigger as a NG IL 76 and not just an extended version like the IL476. The A400 has a similar size as the IL 76 today, so develop a new aircraft in the same size, with a larger cargo hold, a payload of around 40t and twin jet engine config as planned and you can cover all kind of roles below the C17s, while being cheaper to procure and more cost-effective to operate.
Think about this:
Heavy - C17 (direct procurement)
Medium to heavy - MTA (co-development UAC / HAL)
Medium - C130J (licence produced by TATA)
Light to medium - 2nd hand Saab 2000 + RTA 70 (Saab as a development partner NAL + Indian production partner)
Would cover all operational need and our industrial needs of India!