Pratyush wrote: ↑20 Sep 2023 16:24
Perhaps, Nither the Indian Army nor the IAF foresee a situation where they will need the capacity that a very large airlifter provides.
They are confident of the forward deployed forces and prepositioned materials.
Along with the adequacy of the road network to provide reinforcement and replenishment of stocks.
fanne wrote: ↑20 Sep 2023 16:55
There may never be a need to emergency airlift tanks (that need heavy capacity).
IAF then have must learned from PAF - let IA fight it’s own war.
Actually, post-Galwan, we airlifted T90s to Ladakh using C17.
Indian Air Force Delivers Additional Firepower To Army In Ladakh, Airlifts Tanks Including T-90s
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has delivered additional firepower to the Indian Army in the form of dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles in recent days using transporter aircraft like Boeing C-17 Globemaster-IIIs and Ilyushin IL-76,
As per the report, the transport aircraft carried out multiple sorties from bases like Chandigarh carrying additional tanks and armoured vehicles to provide a firepower boost to the Indian Army.
This includes new T-90 tanks deployed in the Western Sector. Incidentally, it is the first time since 1962 that armoured tanks have been urgently airlifted to Ladakh.
Behind massive build-up at LAC is the IAF’s never-seen-before airlift capability
he most significant aspect of the air effort perhaps is airlifting of India’s newest and most powerful tanks, the T-90, which now spearhead the Army’s strike formations, from the plains to Ladakh. Chinese deployment across the LAC, including concentrations in depth, reportedly includes a mix of light and heavy tanks, including new variants.
Besides through air, heavy induction has also been taken through the Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh road axis.
According to an IAF officer, airlifting the T-90 was possible due to the payload capacity of the C-17, which is about 77 tonnes. A T-90 weighs about 46 tonnes, which is more than the capacity of the IL-76, which can airlift about 45 tonnes. The operating environment of high-altitude airfields like Leh further restricts the load that can be carried.
The Army had three regiments of the older T-72 tanks, which weigh around 40 tonnes, deployed in this sector. Many of these tanks, along with BMP-2 mechanised combat vehicles, have been airlifted to Ladakh by the IL-76 since the early 1990s. Given the weight and length of the tractor-trailer, it is not practical to negotiate the high mountain passes, hairpin bends and narrow stretches that lie on the road link from the mainland to Ladakh. Tank transporters can only be used on some road stretches within Ladakh.
So, the takeaways ...
- We do need heavy transport aircraft that can airlift tanks.
- We desire more C17s, but we should have placed the order when the manufacturing line existed. We missed the bus - but that's the story of our procurement circus anyway
- I don't see any tank-lift capable aircraft on the horizon. I don't see C17 replacement coming along soon. We need to settle for less for now.