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India Looking to Refurbish its AN-32s
The Antonov AN-32 Cline builds on the general design of the widely-used AN-26 light transport plane, but high placement of the engine nacelles above the wing allow bigger propellers, driven by 5,100 hp AI-20 turboprops that almost double the output of the AN-26s engines. As a result, the AN-32s 14,750 pound/ 6900 kg load capacity is almost 50% better than its AN-26 cousins, and it can take off with much better load fractions in hot and/or high-altitude conditions, whose thin air could be a problem for other aircraft. AN-32s serve with a number of countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and the type was recently purchased by Afghanistan.
India was the planes launch customer in the 1980s, and its fleet of up to 105 aircraft are used by the IAFs Parachute Training School, by its military and humanitarian personnel and supply airdrops, and as an important link in the transport chain to the disputed Siachen glacier area in northern Jammu and Kashmir. That length of service has taken a toll, hence Indias decision to modernize and refurbish its fleet. A program that appears to have winners now
AN-32 at Thiose, India
(click, and note mountains)As an IAF official put it to the Press Trust of India:
The avionics of the aircraft were up-to-date when it was inducted during the 1980s, but is quite crude compared with todays requirements . With the upgrades on-board, we will have better flight management system, glass cockpit display, landing system and other equipment to improve accuracy and lend a multi-role operational edge to the aircraft.
The aircrafts airframe will also undergo some changes to improve its landing capabilities, and to extend its service life for another 15-20 years.
The process began with a Parliamentary Committee suggestion in 2000-01. The intent to upgrade the AN-32 fleet was restated in 2006, and India has now performed pre-upgrade surveys of its fleet. Anotnov and Israels Elbit Systems are said to be the likely contractors.
The AN-32 upgrade appears to have survived Indias contract to purchase 6-12 C-130J Hercules aircraft configured for special forces operations, and may even be complementary to it. On Oct 14/08, Zee News quoted Agra Air Stations Air Officer Commanding Air Commodore Shouvik Roy:
With special operations being the focus of the Air Force in the days to come, the upgraded aircraft will be used increasingly for operations involving tactical transport. The improved on-board avionics will facilitate night operations and even search and rescue.
Contracts and Key Events
AN-32
(click to view full)March 3/09: Janes adds that the upgrade will involve about 70 aircraft, adding that around 50 of the 100 remaining AN-32s will require structural refurbishment, as well as systems modernization. It will apparently be performed in cooperation with Elbit Systems, whose avionics are popular with the Indian military.
Feb 16/09: According to the Ukraines official news agency UKRINFORM, Ukraines Aviant Aircraft Building Plant in Kiev appears to have won the upgrade contract for Indias AN-32s. Ukraines national news agency reports that:
At the meeting with Indias Defense Minister it was noted that in the context of a recent victory of the Ukrainian party in a tender on modernization of the fleet of 105 An-23 planes of the Indian Air Force, the relevant bilateral military-technical cooperation has prospects of achieving a qualitatively new level. The work on the contract is being completed now.
Contract amounts were not mentioned. In India, however, its wise not to count on any contract until its actually signed.
The Antonov AN-32 Cline builds on the general design of the widely-used AN-26 light transport plane, but high placement of the engine nacelles above the wing allow bigger propellers, driven by 5,100 hp AI-20 turboprops that almost double the output of the AN-26s engines. As a result, the AN-32s 14,750 pound/ 6900 kg load capacity is almost 50% better than its AN-26 cousins, and it can take off with much better load fractions in hot and/or high-altitude conditions, whose thin air could be a problem for other aircraft. AN-32s serve with a number of countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and the type was recently purchased by Afghanistan.
India was the planes launch customer in the 1980s, and its fleet of up to 105 aircraft are used by the IAFs Parachute Training School, by its military and humanitarian personnel and supply airdrops, and as an important link in the transport chain to the disputed Siachen glacier area in northern Jammu and Kashmir. That length of service has taken a toll, hence Indias decision to modernize and refurbish its fleet. A program that appears to have winners now
AN-32 at Thiose, India
(click, and note mountains)As an IAF official put it to the Press Trust of India:
The avionics of the aircraft were up-to-date when it was inducted during the 1980s, but is quite crude compared with todays requirements . With the upgrades on-board, we will have better flight management system, glass cockpit display, landing system and other equipment to improve accuracy and lend a multi-role operational edge to the aircraft.
The aircrafts airframe will also undergo some changes to improve its landing capabilities, and to extend its service life for another 15-20 years.
The process began with a Parliamentary Committee suggestion in 2000-01. The intent to upgrade the AN-32 fleet was restated in 2006, and India has now performed pre-upgrade surveys of its fleet. Anotnov and Israels Elbit Systems are said to be the likely contractors.
The AN-32 upgrade appears to have survived Indias contract to purchase 6-12 C-130J Hercules aircraft configured for special forces operations, and may even be complementary to it. On Oct 14/08, Zee News quoted Agra Air Stations Air Officer Commanding Air Commodore Shouvik Roy:
With special operations being the focus of the Air Force in the days to come, the upgraded aircraft will be used increasingly for operations involving tactical transport. The improved on-board avionics will facilitate night operations and even search and rescue.
Contracts and Key Events
AN-32
(click to view full)March 3/09: Janes adds that the upgrade will involve about 70 aircraft, adding that around 50 of the 100 remaining AN-32s will require structural refurbishment, as well as systems modernization. It will apparently be performed in cooperation with Elbit Systems, whose avionics are popular with the Indian military.
Feb 16/09: According to the Ukraines official news agency UKRINFORM, Ukraines Aviant Aircraft Building Plant in Kiev appears to have won the upgrade contract for Indias AN-32s. Ukraines national news agency reports that:
At the meeting with Indias Defense Minister it was noted that in the context of a recent victory of the Ukrainian party in a tender on modernization of the fleet of 105 An-23 planes of the Indian Air Force, the relevant bilateral military-technical cooperation has prospects of achieving a qualitatively new level. The work on the contract is being completed now.
Contract amounts were not mentioned. In India, however, its wise not to count on any contract until its actually signed.
