Centre okay with Boeing aircraft to replace ageing IL-76 fleet
Keen on replacing the ageing Russian IL-76 transport aircraft in the Indian Air Force (IAF), the ministry of defence has approved in principle the purchase of the US-based Boeing’s C-17 heavy-lift Globemaster III. The deal is worth over $2 billion.
“The C-17s have been short listed after IAF carried out a thorough study on its capability to take-off and land on short runways with heavy loads. The defency ministry has sent a letter to the US administration seeking a formal offer for these machines,” highly placed sources on conditions of anonymity told FE. This development comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the US.
Sources said the C-17 deal was discussed and cleared at a recent meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by defence minister AK Antony. The deal, likely to be inked in few months, will be discussed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the US.
Initially, the IAF will place an order for 10 C-17s through the US government’s foreign military sales (FMS) route, and may later go in for a follow-on order, sources said. “For an FMS contract, the US administration, after receiving a letter of request from the MoD, will seek Congressional approval before making a formal offer.”
“If accepted, the aircraft should be inducted in about three years after the contract is signed,” sources added.
Most of IAF’s transport aircraft were acquired in the 1980s and the air force is keen to acquire new generation aircraft to replace and augment its fleet.
The US ambassador in New Delhi
, while pitching for robust India-US military ties, has reportedly said, “America is ready to support India’s drive to modernise its armed forces.”
India has ordered for six C-130J aircraft (from Lockheed Martin) for its special forces operations and these aircraft will be based at the Hindan air base in Ghaziabad.
C-130J Super Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft made by Lockheed Martin capable of carrying 20 tonne or 92 fully armed airborne troops.
C-17 Globemaster is a larger Boeing-made military transport aircraft capable of carrying 75 tonne or 135 troops.
With Asia becoming a global economic engine, India’s interests have surpassed her own boundaries to regions stretching from the Straits of Hormuz to the Straits of Malacca, the northern Indian Ocean Region, and to central Asia. The IAF plans to replace and augment nearly 100% of its fighter, transport, and helicopter fleets due to…
age and performance deficiencies.”Demands on the airlift fleet are growing due to enhanced national and international commitments that will only increase in the future,” said a senior IAF officer.
According to the former Air Chief Fali Homi Major, “… with India emerging as a global economic power, it is necessary that the IAF enhance its capabilities to fulfill new responsibilities. And, to meet these new security challenges, the IAF needs strategic reach, there is a necessity to build up our strategic assets …”…