Sancho; this is the subject of considerable "brain-storming" by PROFESSIONAL AVIATORS in the IAF for quite some time. Hence the acquisition of the IAF transport aircraft from USA followed the FMS route to just brush aside all potential causes of delays. This was a reflection of the IAF's thinking; nay insistence on the subject.
Just that you ignore that not IAF pilots are making the procurements, but officials in IAF and more importantly of MoD. They have to include things like cost-effectivity, benefits for the industry, ToT of critical parts, operational restrictions because of foreign laws..., things that pilots in brainstormings often forget.
It's one thing to provide a pilot with a good flying machine, but it's another to procure, operate and maintain a large fleet of aircrafts, over such a wide area, that must be able to cover all different kind of geografical, climate or even war and peace time situations. So MoD don't have the luxury to look at certain things only, but have to look at the greater picture and with the currently known budget, there is no way that we will go to operate large fleets of C27J, or C130Js.
This disaster and the relief operation that had to be mounted in its aftermath will again turn the spotlight on these matters. The C-130s for instance has been on IAF's wish-list since 1963. Nothing changed that, this instance of its utility of operation will not either, it will only work in its favor.
Which is not surprising, but still it was procured only for special ops and not as a uttility transporter in large numbers, because that's what MTA is meant to be, with much higher benefits for our industry!
An I do hope that after the disaster there will be an unbiased check of how the forces performed and what could have been done better to be more efficient. And as evident so far, the lack of capable heavy transports through helicopters or fixedwing aircraft that I often mentioned is an issue, or that IA might be working more effectively, if they had all Dhruvs and Mi 17s under their control for the rescue operations!
About the A-400 in the IAF its fate is still unknown
Which is what bothers me the most! The fact that IAF doesn't even asked for informations of a new aircraft, to at least theoretically evaluate it's performance, pros or cons in India is not understandable with plain logic. Anything that can help to improve the performance of Indian forces should at least be worth a read of a few brochures or?
Btw, I've got a question to you wrt to the US 2s. Wouldn't it be more effective to use them in ICG only and in higher numbers, to provide a long range unarmed maritime patrol and SAR capability, instead of using it in ICG and IN, possibly even in IAF for the same purposes? Aren't they the first that are meant to do rescue operations alongside the sea lanes around India?
IN then should remain with LR and MR armed MPAs, like the P8, Sea Hercs or C295Ws, for search and destroy operations of enemy naval assets right?
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