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The hunt for new medium transport aircraft (MTA) to boost multi-mission capabilities of the Indian Air Force will be a three-cornered contest, with US, South American and European plane makers throwing their hat in the ring to equip the air force with 40-80 aircraft, in line with the central government’s Make in India initiative, officials aware of the development said on Monday.
US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin’s C-130J, Brazilian Embraer Defense and Security’s C-390 Millennium and Airbus Defence and Space’s A-400M aircraft of Europe will vie for the Indian order that is expected to involve technology transfer and setting up a manufacturing line in the country for high-level indigenisation, the officials said on conditions of anonymity.
The IAF is looking for a new transport aircraft in the 18 to 30-tonne cargo carrying capacity range.
Embraer Defense and Security president Bosco Da Costa Junior on Monday said the firm was laying the groundwork to compete for the IAF order and was in talks with local firms for a possible partnership to bid for the project. The air force has sought information from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) earlier this year about the aircraft they can offer. The C-390 was on display at the Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru in February.
“The competition has very good planes, but the C-390 has its own advantages, including the latest technology, multi-mission capability, operational flexibility and low operating costs. It will bring more value to the IAF. Our competitors are well established in India, but we are also looking at expanding our relationship,” Costa said, responding to a question on the platforms Lockheed Martin and Airbus are offering and their standing in India.
The IAF currently operates 12 C-130J aircraft, while Airbus is jointly executing a ₹21,935-crore project with Tata Advanced Systems Limited to equip the air force with 56 C-295 aircraft to modernise its transport fleet.
In the defence sector, Embraer has so far supplied eight jets to India for VVIP travel, and for use as airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The information IAF has sought from OEMs includes scope of technology transfer; methods to enhance indigenisation and to set up a dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes in India; capability to undertake indigenous manufacture of systems, subsystems, components and spares; and making India a regional or global hub for manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the equipment.
The IAF needs transport aircraft in the 18 to 30-tonne class to carry out various roles, and it should select a plane that best meets its requirements and can be indigenised the most, said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general of Centre for Air Power Studies.
Embraer is prepared to support and join the Make in India initiative, Costa said.
“We have had several meetings with Indian firms and are currently assessing what kind of facilities they have here. We are looking at the best match to implement our joint localisation plan under the Make in India model,” he said.
From manufacturing parts in the country to MRO and technology transfer to final assembly, Embraer will propose the best localisation plan ever offered to India by any original equipment manufacturer, he said. India could become the hub to fulfill the MTA demand in the region, Costa added.
In the request for information for the MTA, the IAF has asked the foreign vendors to provide a general estimate of the cost of aircraft and associated equipment for a batch of 40, 60 and 80 aircraft. The C-390 can carry a payload of 26 tonne compared to the C-130J’s 20 tonne and A-400M’s 37 tonne.
The IAF’s transport fleet, which includes C-17s and Il-76s, has played a key role in strengthening the country’s military posture to deter Chinese forces in the Ladakh sector where the two sides have been locked in a fierce military standoff for more than three years.
The IAF has airlifted more than 68,000 troops, 330 infantry combat vehicles, 90 tanks, several artillery guns and other equipment, including surface-to-air guided weapons and radars, to forward areas in eastern Ladakh during the last three years.
Competition heats up for IAF’s medium transport aircraft deal
Embraer C-390 can carry a payload of 26 tonne compared to the Lockheed Martin C-130J’s 20 tonne and Airbus A-400M’s 37 tonne
