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The Indian Air Force (IAF)’s Request for Proposal (RfP) for 60 Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA), estimated at around Rs 1 lakh crore and issued on Wednesday (August 12), highlights the growing logistics burden of operating an unusually large number of different aircraft types across the service.

The MTA programme seeks to replace the IAF’s legacy Antonov An-32 fleet with a platform capable of carrying between 18 and 30 tonnes. Its eventual induction, however, will add another type to a transport fleet already spread across a wide range of platforms, a pattern mirrored in the IAF’s fighter arm, where an equally complicated mix of combat aircraft and support ecosystems prevails.

Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.

The MTA RfP has been issued exclusively to domestic companies, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Adani Defence, Tata Advanced Systems and Mahindra Defence, which are expected to partner with foreign original equipment manufacturers to compete for the programme.

The tender envisages 12 aircraft being supplied in fly-away condition and the remaining 48 manufactured in India, with the programme mandated to achieve 60% indigenous content in a phased manner, in keeping with the government’s broader Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and push for greater self-reliance in defence production.

But irrespective of which platform is ultimately selected, its induction will create another long-term support commitment for the IAF, as no aircraft is ever acquired in isolation. Each new type requires its own pool of trained air and ground crews, specialised equipment and tooling, maintenance procedures, technical manuals, simulators, software support and a whole lot else.

Engine dependency too is an especially critical and enduring commitment. The aircraft’s powerplant has to be supported, overhauled and supplied with critical components throughout its service life, potentially tying the IAF to a foreign manufacturer and its technology base for decades. The same applies to avionics and other major systems, which require their own upkeep, upgrades and technical support for as long as the platform remains........

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