Airbus A330 MRTT vs Ilyushin Il-78 tankers

[Singh]

Airbus A330 MRTT has the upper hand imo

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The deal for procuring six mid-air refueller aircraft for the Air Force has entered its last phase with the IAF completing the field trials of the planes on offer.

Airbus Military, one of the contenders of the deal, today said the winter trials of the aircraft were concluded by the end of the last year during which the IAF checked the planes against all its specific requirements.
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Air Force had issued the original tender for mid-air refueller a couple of years ago, but it was cancelled following Finance Ministry's objection to the cost put forth by Airbus Military, whose A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft was selected for awarding the contract.

The tender was re-issued in September 2010 and Airbus Military- a European consortium company- applied for it again.

The firm is now pitted against the Russian Ilyushin, which has offered the IL-78 for the contract.

IAF is already operating six of the IL-78 refuellers in its fleet for over half a decade now and the squadron is based at Agra air force base.

The new midair refuellers are required by the IAF to augment its existing IL-78 fleet. The air-to-air refuellers are used by air forces for refuelling its fighters and transport aircraft while in flight to enhance the endurance of these platforms.

The midair refuellers are a major force multiplier for air forces so as to keep their fighter jets in air to respond to security threats for longer periods of time.

This time, the IAF has asked the global manufacturers of midair refuellers to submit their proposals as per life cycle costs.

Deal for procuring mid-air refueller aircraft in last phase - The Economic Times

 

[Zebra]

Refueling Boom Falls off Airbus A330 Tanker During Test Flight

Sep. 11, 2012 - 07:14AM |
By ANDREW CHUTER

LONDON — An Airbus Military A330 tanker's refueling boom fell off during a test flight over Spain, Airbus said.

The plane, scheduled to be delivered to the United Arab Emirates later this month, was flying in a region between Madrid and Portugal when the incident happened at 7:30 p.m. local time Sept. 10.

An Airbus Military spokesman said it was "too early" to give any indication as to the cause of the mishap.

The spokesman said Airbus had "advised the Royal Australian Air Force as a precautionary measure to stop using the boom until further investigations had taken place."

The RAAF is the launch customer for the boom-equipped A330 and has four of the five aircraft it ordered in-service. The aircraft also has Cobham-supplied probe refueling systems fitted.

The UAE aircraft was flying at 27,000 feet conducting a series of tests, including deploying the boom, when the system fell away at the point where it links to the fuselage.

Nobody on the ground or in the aircraft was injured and the A330 returned, with minor damage, to the Airbus base at Getafe, near Madrid.

The boom was recovered Sept. 11. Company executives were scheduled to hold a news conference later Sept. 11 at the ongoing Berlin air show.

The Airbus Military crew manning the A330 was deploying the boom when it fell from the fuselage, people familiar with the incident said.

It's the second time the Airbus-developed boom has been involved in a serious in-flight incident. In early 2011 the boom of an A330 multi-role tanker transport destined for delivery to the RAAF detached during a training flight refueling a Portuguese Lockheed Martin F-16 over the Atlantic Ocean.

The Airbus spokesman said the incidents weren't related.

"A fix has been implemented to resolve that [previous] issue involving the installation of a warning on the MRTT's control system if the refueling approaches the edge of its cleared envelope," he said.

Britain's Royal Air Force has started taking delivery of the MRTT machines. Its version, known as the Voyager, does not use a boom but relies on the Cobham probe.

The first aircraft destined to fulfill a Royal Saudi Air Force order has been delivered and is conducting crew training in Spain.

Refueling Boom Falls off Airbus A330 Tanker During Test Flight | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[vishwaprasad]

better go for Russian IL-78 as we have operated the type and its a great performance wise and cost effective solution. French have already got MRCA, lets not hurt Russians this time.

 

[Zebra]

better go for Russian IL-78 as we have operated the type and its a great performance wise and cost effective solution. French have already got MRCA, lets not hurt Russians this time.

PAK-FA & FGFA
Mi-17v5
Multirole Transport Aircraft
MiG- 29
Mki

My friend, all these are not enough?

 

[vishwaprasad]

PAK-FA & FGFA
Mi-17v5
Multirole Transport Aircraft
MiG- 29
Mki

My friend, all these are not enough?

Its enough my friend but still Russia has been traditionally our largest arms supplier and we have to show them that we are not totally neglecting them when in competition with western platform. These days they are hurt on many occasions, i.e. AH-64 vs MI-28, MRCA etc. We should not make them angry which can result in troublesome situation for PAK-FA, delays, cost escalations etc. This purchase can also help to keep them away from PAK, these days there are talks of Russia-Pak strategic cooperation with each other. Besides I think cost wise also its a vary good option. What you think?

 

[Zebra]

Its enough my friend but still Russia has been traditionally our largest arms supplier and we have to show them that we are not totally neglecting them when in competition with western platform. These days they are hurt on many occasions, i.e. AH-64 vs MI-28, MRCA etc. We should not make them angry which can result in troublesome situation for PAK-FA, delays, cost escalations etc. This purchase can also help to keep them away from PAK, these days there are talks of Russia-Pak strategic cooperation with each other. Besides I think cost wise also its a vary good option. What you think?

We have two fronts. Our preparedness should be and must be according to that fact.
We needs few things top of the range and few things which are not top of the range, but in good quantity. It's a kind of mix match, bcz of two fronts at a time.

Now, this attitude that if we won't buy then may be they will sell it to Pakistan is not that useful.
What ever we buy, it should be better than our eastern enemy also.
Other side of eastern front they are getting better and better as day past.

In this situation we can't deal every thing by keeping only Pakistan in mind.
Let them sell to Pakistan. We can try to get better than that.
At the end of the day Pakistan will manage to get what they wants from somewhere else.

btw, you care too much about Russia. They will get angry so what? Who cares.

What about India?

I think we should say to Russia that we don't PAK-FA.
Let them bend to their knees.
The same thing they did with India for Gorshkov.

Let us see without Indian money what they do.

What say....!

 

[vishwaprasad]

^^ may be you are rite...India should always be first

 

[Armand2REP]

Russian's have more than enough. India needs to sign French deals, MMRCA, MRTT, LUH, P75I, uprated Kaveri and LPH. This will get us back in the #2 spot.

 

[vishwaprasad]

Russian's have more than enough. India needs to sign French deals, MMRCA, MRTT, LUH, P75I, uprated Kaveri and LPH. This will get us back in the #2 spot.

On P75I I am totally agreed with you as we have already signed scorpene deal and buying the same platform (again scorpene) will reduce maintenance/logistic burden.

 

[Blackwater]

IAF in final stages of deciding b/w Airbus A330 MRTT and Ilyushin Il-78 tankers




This is against the principal of India, India should decide in at least 25 yrs not before

 

[Bheeshma]

A-330 is definitely better and newer but IL-78 has advantage of already being in service with IAF.

 

[nrj]

I hope the new FM will give a different call than his predecessor when file reaches his desk.

 

[LurkerBaba]

Airbus has won

 

[Armand2REP]

I started a thread but it isn't showing up under new posts...

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/43374-airbus-a330-wins-tanker-competition.html

 

[Killswitch]

A friend of my cousin who is a transport pilot for the IAF told me the IL's were a nightmare to maintain and could not be depended upon.


Moving away from Russia's inoperable equipment is a good thing.

 

[pack leader]

the Indian army is a logistic nightmare
too many parallel systems
c-130 j / mta / emb 145 tactical cargo
c-17 / il 76 / a330 mrtt strategic cargo

totally crazy and illogical :shocked:

 

[p2prada]

the Indian army is a logistic nightmare
too many parallel systems
c-130 j / mta / emb 145 tactical cargo
c-17 / il 76 / a330 mrtt strategic cargo

totally crazy and illogical :shocked:

I would disagree with this, partly.

C-130J is a special forces version with 12 planned. The IL-214 MTA will be the main workhorse in this class with 45 initial numbers.

As for strategic cargo, it would seem so. But new IL-76s are unavailable as of today, so it was logical to choose the C-17. The IAF IL-76 are quite old with first induction in 1983. Its been 30 years now. So, they are on their last legs, especially if war breaks out in the near future.

MRTT is first and foremost a refueler and the cargo carrying capability is a secondary role. What's funny is we have 6 IL-78 and will have 6 A-330. Instead of placing follow on orders for more A-330s we may end up buying IL-476 for refueler. That would be crazy. But I suppose IAF will want to fly the best in this case and IMHO A-330 is a better buy than the IL-78/476.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

IAF have just now started to think about logistical issues, like its move for Fighter aircraft..

 

[Abhi9]

We need more air-air refuelers

India Needs to Fast-Track Purchase of Aerial Refuelers | idrw.org

 

[Sridhar]

Delays Still Cloud Airbus A330 Tanker Program
Delays Still Cloud Airbus A330 Tanker Program | Aviation International News