Transport Aircraft for IAF

[Rakesh]

Targeting IAF Deal, Lockheed Pitches Made-in-India C-130J
https://www.livefistdefence.com/targeti ... ia-c-130j/
10 Sept 2024

[Rakesh]

Mega aircraft deal in sight, TATA-Lockheed Martin to set up C-130 MRO base in India for IAF, others
https://theprint.in/defence/mega-aircra ... s/2260855/
10 Sept 2024

[Rakesh]

Below is part of a twitter thread from a twitter user who went to the IDAX (Indian Defence Aviation Exposition) at Jodhpur.

https://x.com/Tanishq_bafila/status/1835005836751696056 ---> NO PLANS TO MANUFACTURE BIG TRANSPORT PLANS.

Q: Is there any plan to manufacture Aircraft in the category of C-17 in the future?

A: No, because there is a requirement of 5-6 aircraft only.

[Manish_P]

Below is part of a twitter thread from a twitter user who went to the IDAX (Indian Defence Aviation Exposition) at Jodhpur.

https://x.com/Tanishq_bafila/status/1835005836751696056 ---> NO PLANS TO MANUFACTURE BIG TRANSPORT PLANS.

Q: Is there any plan to manufacture Aircraft in the category of C-17 in the future?

A: No, because there is a requirement of 5-6 aircraft only.

maybe the real thing is that we cannot think beyond the next 5-6 years..

[Rakesh]

Indian Hopes of Sustaining its An-32 Fleet Doomed by Russian Strikes on Ukraine's Motor Sich Plant

[drnayar]

Below is part of a twitter thread from a twitter user who went to the IDAX (Indian Defence Aviation Exposition) at Jodhpur.

https://x.com/Tanishq_bafila/status/1835005836751696056 ---> NO PLANS TO MANUFACTURE BIG TRANSPORT PLANS.

Q: Is there any plan to manufacture Aircraft in the category of C-17 in the future?

A: No, because there is a requirement of 5-6 aircraft only.

maybe the real thing is that we cannot think beyond the next 5-6 years..

quite agree ., one just need to be reminded why the chinese Y20, same category as C 17 is well ..look at what wiki has to say !

"In 2014, a report from the People's Liberation Army's National Defence University stated that the PRC's civil and military transport needed 400 Y-20s.[1] In 2016, Zhu Qian of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China stated that more than a thousand were needed.[30]

After incorporating the Y-20 into the PLAAF service, analysts noted Y-20 had an extremely quick production rate, with a large amount of production aircraft spotted inside the PLAAF testing base.[31] By 2023, PLAAF was equipped with 67 Y-20 aircraft.[5]

According to a 2023 assessment by Aviation Week, the Y-20 was scheduled to replace Russian airframes, including the Ilyushin Il-76 and H-6U tanker variants. Analyst Matt Jouppi suggested airborne early warning and control was likely under development and that by 2032 China would likely have 75 YY-20 tankers and more than 100 Y-20 transport planes. "

[Manish_P]

^ Maybe we can buy some of them eh.

Maybe we can ask the Russians to buy them from China, repaint them and then resell it to us with a fat margin. Emergency procurement and all that.

After all the US buys aircraft alloys from Russia. Russia buys optics from France.. and everybody buys something or the other from China

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/Defencematrix1/status/1848600707475107962 ---> Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez will inaugurate the Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL)- Airbus C-295 manufacturing facility in Vadodara on October 28.

[srai]

Regarding Y-20, the Chinese are not afraid to order in bulk. It expands their local MIC with heavy investments on the entire ecosystems for the mass production of 400 to 1000 units over decade(s).

In the wartime, the country that has this sort of strategic MIC capability will outlast opponents to victory.

[Kartik]

India looking to procure 15 more C-295s of which 12 would be built at the Vadodara assembly line set up by the Tata-Airbus JV and 3 would come in fly-away condition.

These 15 are to be procured for the Medium Range Maritime Recon (MRMR) requirement of the IN.

Total would then be 71 C-295s for the Indian services.

Currently No.11 'Charging Rhinos' squadron operates 6 C-295s that were delivered from the Seville facility of Airbus.

India to procure 15 more C-295 aircraft, 12 to be built at home

“We may get three of 15 aircraft in fly-away condition given the urgent requirement. We are demanding TASL to increase the indigenisation level in the 12 aircraft to 78%,” an official source said. The 15 aircraft are for the maritime reconnaissance role being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

..

As on date, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has already inducted six aircraft in its 11 Squadron based at Vadodara, the source stated. The first C-295 aircraft was delivered in September 2023 and the last of the 16 flyaway aircraft will be delivered by August 2025.

Of the 40 aircraft, the first C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 by August 2031. It is meant to replace the legacy HS-748 Avro aircraft in service with IAF. A full mission simulator has already been installed at the Agra air force station.

In terms of indigenous content, the value addition by TASL will gradually increase from 48% in the first 16 of the 40 aircraft to 75% in the remaining 24, sources said.

Other than the aero engine and avionics, which are sourced by Airbus from other original equipment manufacturers, the other structural parts will mostly be made in India, sources said. “Of 14,000 detailed parts used in one aircraft, 13,000 would be made in India from raw material. A total of 37 companies have already been identified by Airbus, of these 33 are Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises,” a source said.

...

All 56 aircraft will be equipped with an Electronic Warfare Suite that will be indigenously manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited.

[srai]

IAF should order another 100 x C-295 to replace AN-32. Airbus has already proven variants with specialized kits.

Conversion roll-on/roll-off kits available for Tactical Transporter

• Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR)
• Water Bomber (firefighting)
• Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC)

Plus, specialized variants

• Airborne Early Warning (AEW)
• Signals Intelligence (SIGINT)
• Armed/Ground ISR
• Versatile Maritime Surveillance (MSA)
• Maritime Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare (MPA/ASW)

IAF/IN (and other services) can fill-in current big gaps in force multipliers with C-295 platform

[drnayar]

Regarding Y-20, the Chinese are not afraid to order in bulk. It expands their local MIC with heavy investments on the entire ecosystems for the mass production of 400 to 1000 units over decade(s).

In the wartime, the country that has this sort of strategic MIC capability will outlast opponents to victory.

you are right.. strategic transports are increasingly essential in logistics. the medium transports can only do so much on scale. There is unfortunately no plan [ make in india or otherwise ] in public domain for the IAF strategic transports other than the C17s , half a decade down the line when the chinese would have fielded 50 examples [ more likely 100 by the looks of it ] of the Y 20 s there would a yawning logistics capability gap for the IAF

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/ANI/status/1855858833429877246 ---> Central Air Commander Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, today inaugurated the C-295 Full Motion Simulator facility at Air Force Station, Agra. The full mission simulator would enable transport aircraft pilots to practice operational missions and emergency handling in a near realistic environment thereby enhancing operational capability and flight safety. The C295 transport aircraft has been inducted into the IAF and subsequent aircraft will be produced in the Tata Advanced Systems Limited facility at Vadodara in a boost to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Government: Indian Air Force officials.

https://x.com/ajitkdubey/status/1855860124994224380 ---> Very important facility for the Indian Air Force in Agra. Seems the orders for the C-295 Made in India would go much higher than the present 52.

[srai]

Let’s see how many of these kits are ordered by the IAF. Addresses immediate gaps.

C-295 AAR Kit





https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jl ... G_High.pdf


C-295 Water bomber kit





https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jl ... G_High.pdf

Might also be worthwhile to look into C-295 AEW&C with DRDO. Good flying testbed.

DRDO flying testbed for many aerial sensors and munitions too.


https://www.armadainternational.com/202 ... -violence/

[Prasad]

5 tons of fuel is roughly just over 5000 litres of fuel. Could well top up a flight of 6 aircraft onwards or on their return leg.

[Manish_P]

C 295 ISR would be pretty handy for (but quite costly) for COIN.

IIRC we have ordered minigun pod for the MQ-9s

[Kartik]

5 tons of fuel is roughly just over 5000 litres of fuel. Could well top up a flight of 6 aircraft onwards or on their return leg.

Problem is the speed of the C-295 being a turboprop. Fighters will find it very hard to refuel from it. The KC-390 is a better option for a refueler given it has turbofans and a higher cruising speed which will allow it to comfortably refuel fighters.

[srai]

AAR tests at 210 knots



The Airbus C295 correctly performs the first in-flight refueling as a tanker

…
The test program also included night flight operations and the successful proximity test in pre-contact position with a Spanish Air Force F18 fighter at a flight speed of 210 knots.

These tests will extend the C295's tactical operations versatility to include refueling missions for helicopters, transport and combat aircraft.
…

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/Platypuss_10/status/1894055384031056314 ---> Airbus delivered the 10th C-295 (CA 7110) to Indian Air Force.

[VinodTK]

India in talks for 10 more Airbus C-295 aircraft in ageing fleet revamp, sources say

Source: The Thomson Reuters Trust

India in talks for 10 more Airbus C-295 aircraft in ageing fleet revamp, sources say
By Aditya Kalra, Shivam Patel and Tim Hepher
February 28, 20253:21 AM ESTUpdated 11 hours ago

NEW DELHI/PARIS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - India is in talks to purchase 10 more Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft than the 71 it had planned, as the country ramps up efforts to replace its ageing fleet with locally built planes, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The discussions come as a boost for Airbus' (AIR.PA), opens new tab partnership with Indian conglomerate Tata Group after they jointly opened an assembly line for the C-295 in the western state of Gujarat last year.

India's government in 2021 struck a $2.52 billion deal for 56 C-295 aircraft for the Air Force, and last year gave an initial nod for 15 more for its navy and coast guard. Now, talks are on to add up to 10 aircraft to the 2024 order, said the three sources, who declined to be named as the talks are private.
One source said the additional planes are for the Indian Air Force.
"The Indian Air Force has significant transport capability requirements; they need a lot of aircraft," said Laxman Behera, a defence expert at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
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Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems, which is running the project, declined to comment. India's defence ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Going by the deal value of the 2021 purchase of 56 aircraft, an expanded order for 25 C-295s could be worth $1.1 billion.

India is the world's biggest arms importer but has been trying to boost domestic production and self reliance as it looks to counter neighbouring China's rapidly growing military.
The C-295 is a multi-role transport aircraft that can carry up to 70 troops or eight tonnes of cargo and can carry out missions such as airborne warning, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Airbus has said the Indian Air Force will soon become the largest C-295 operator, and that in India, all of the aircraft's structural components are being made locally.

AIR FORCE'S GROWING NEEDS

The source who said the expanded order was for the Air Force also said the Indian government is likely to place more orders for C-295s, while a separate industry source, familiar with the Ministry of Defence's thinking, said New Delhi wants up to 75 more C-295s, above the 56 ordered in 2021.

Sixteen C-295s from the 2021 order are due to come from Airbus' site in Spain while the remaining are expected to be assembled at the Airbus-Tata facility in India by 2031.
The new purchased C-295s could come solely from the Gujarat assembly line, but if New Delhi wants delivery faster, some may still need to come from Spain, the first source added.

The C-295 replaces India's legacy fleet of 56 Avro HS-748, which were first introduced in 1961 and formed the backbone of the Air Force's transport fleet.
The Indian Air Force chief this year criticised slow deliveries of fighter jets from state-run warplane maker Hindustan Aeronautics (HIAE.NS), opens new tab and has emphasised increasing production speed and called for opening up warplane manufacturing to private firms to boost competition.

Reporting by Aditya Kalra, Shivam Patel and Tim Hepher; Additional reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Gerry Doyle

All the involved parties involved in this piece meal buying approch should be hangout to dry.

[srai]

^^^
Has the IAF thought about replacing its old An-32s yet?

100 x An-32

[Rakesh]

A C-17 landed in Kargil, shrouded in secrecy. Here’s why this is significant.
https://theprint.in/defence/a-c-17-land ... t/2536857/
06 March 2025

[Manish_P]

From the article - there are no parking bays, so only one C-17 can operate at a time.

The planning department would have expansion plans to change that scenario. Shouldn't take long hopefully.

The exponential increase in load carrying capacity is a joy to behold.

God I wish we had the money and bought a couple more squadrons of C-17s when it was still in production....

[prashantsharma]

Sorry to spoil that dream of yours, this so called planning dept has had 25 yrs post the Kargil ops to improve the airfield. They are more interested in golf.

[Manish_P]

Sorry to spoil that dream of yours, this so called planning dept has had 25 yrs post the Kargil ops to improve the airfield. They are more interested in golf.

The C17 came many years after Kargil but I do get your point.

Like I said in another post, we have subs without torpedoes, attack helis without ATGM...

We are like this onlee

[Tanaji]

Ah, you forget the immortal wisdom: but we will fight with what we have as there is no plan B

[prashantsharma]

The ramp's inadequacy was glaringly evident even before the induction of the C17s. At 45x45m, the IAF cant even park two An32s, which are 30x25m

Sorry to spoil that dream of yours, this so called planning dept has had 25 yrs post the Kargil ops to improve the airfield. They are more interested in golf.

The C17 came many years after Kargil but I do get your point.

Like I said in another post, we have subs without torpedoes, attack helis without ATGM...

We are like this onlee