Future of India's heavy airlift: IAF mulling modernization of IL-76 & future replacement

[Corvus Splendens]

India now moving to west no Mi 17 no upgrades for Su 30 and AK gun procurement also been put on hold shows USA pressure is working on India I don't know how western tanker refuel Russian su 30 which is Iaf fleet backbone

The IMRH will replace the MI 17 in future

SU30 upgrades will be done in-house. All MKIs are compatible with NATO standard probe-and-drogue. The IL-78 MKI tankers were upgraded in Israel to utilize this standard.

 

[Super falcon]

Half knowledge is dangerous

So plz give full knowledge bro

 

[Super falcon]

The IMRH will replace the MI 17 in future

SU30 upgrades will be done in-house. All MKIs are compatible with NATO standard probe-and-drogue. The IL-78 MKI tankers were upgraded in Israel to utilize this standard.

Good but than why India is buying chinooks if indian medium lift halo is in pipeline

 

[Blademaster]

Chinooks is heavy helicopter rated to haul 15 tons externally. Medium lift helos can lift under 10-12 tons.

 

[Super falcon]

India may buy further more C 130 Hercules and might go for A 400 as well

 

[Super falcon]

A 400 from Airbus suits India more than anything since India already buying C 295 from them for same light weight pupose

 

[Super falcon]

India might get A 330 Tanker refuelers from France on wet lease UpTo 3 aircraft the news is coming from few sources

 

[Tshering22]

At this point, the Jury is still out on what the IAF will buy for strategic airlifts.

The C-130 will most likely be complemented by the Brazilian Embraer C-390 as Brazil has made a formal offer to the IAF and has shown interest in formally joining the project. C-390 is in the same league as C-130 but has a greater payload and range, a more modern design, and is already serving the Brazilian and Portuguese military.

As for the replacement of Il-76, there are only 3 platforms currently that can be considered:

1. Buy the An-70 design from Ukraine and work with Russia to make it for us (very unlikely)
2. Buy the Kawasaki C-2 from Japan as it is now formally on offer to the international market (30% chance)
3. Buy the Airbus A400M from France outright (70% chance)

The C-17 is no longer an option as the production line is over and Boeing will unlikely pass the design to us, as they will most likely be designing a successor.

It would make sense to join the Brazilians for the medium-lift C-390 project while collaborating with Japan for C-2.

This would allow us to move conventionally away from traditional power and suppliers namely the traditional eastern/western partners.

 

[johnj]

At this point, the Jury is still out on what the IAF will buy for strategic airlifts.

The C-130 will most likely be complemented by the Brazilian Embraer C-390 as Brazil has made a formal offer to the IAF and has shown interest in formally joining the project. C-390 is in the same league as C-130 but has a greater payload and range, a more modern design, and is already serving the Brazilian and Portuguese military.

As for the replacement of Il-76, there are only 3 platforms currently that can be considered:

1. Buy the An-70 design from Ukraine and work with Russia to make it for us (very unlikely)
2. Buy the Kawasaki C-2 from Japan as it is now formally on offer to the international market (30% chance)
3. Buy the Airbus A400M from France outright (70% chance)

The C-17 is no longer an option as the production line is over and Boeing will unlikely pass the design to us, as they will most likely be designing a successor.

It would make sense to join the Brazilians for the medium-lift C-390 project while collaborating with Japan for C-2.

This would allow us to move conventionally away from traditional power and suppliers namely the traditional eastern/western partners.

There is a small issue with Il-76, IAF using il76 aircraft for both awacs & tanker refuelers. Means IAF consider upgrade of current ones with additional il 76 90A with tot for spares or airbus for future awacs & tanker refueler [first priority] & a400m.
India consider indian mta for 20~25t category.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India consider indian mta for 20~25t category.

That will essentially fall in C130 and An-32 category. India will take 10 years minimum to develop and bring first flight of prototype of an Indian MTA, leave alone induction. So that's not an answer to current dire situation.

 

[johnj]

That will essentially fall in C130 and An-32 category. India will take 10 years minimum to develop and bring first flight of prototype of an Indian MTA, leave alone induction. So that's not an answer to current dire situation.

''dire situation'' - it is normal for IAF now, not a big thing.
Fighter sqn falling.
AEW strength fall behind paf
No attack uva
One major advantage is transport aircrafts.
C-295 is coming in this decade.
IAF can choose to be a fighting force or transport [AI] force.

 

[Okabe Rintarou]

At this point, the Jury is still out on what the IAF will buy for strategic airlifts.

The C-130 will most likely be complemented by the Brazilian Embraer C-390 as Brazil has made a formal offer to the IAF and has shown interest in formally joining the project. C-390 is in the same league as C-130 but has a greater payload and range, a more modern design, and is already serving the Brazilian and Portuguese military.

As for the replacement of Il-76, there are only 3 platforms currently that can be considered:

1. Buy the An-70 design from Ukraine and work with Russia to make it for us (very unlikely)
2. Buy the Kawasaki C-2 from Japan as it is now formally on offer to the international market (30% chance)
3. Buy the Airbus A400M from France outright (70% chance)

The C-17 is no longer an option as the production line is over and Boeing will unlikely pass the design to us, as they will most likely be designing a successor.

It would make sense to join the Brazilians for the medium-lift C-390 project while collaborating with Japan for C-2.

This would allow us to move conventionally away from traditional power and suppliers namely the traditional eastern/western partners.

Buying prop planes like A400M or C-130J for strategic airlift role would be a spectacular leap backwards. Even the Japanese C-2 barely qualifies as a strategic transport. One compromise could be buying the new Russian Il-76 90A upgrade. They are still making it I think.

 

[Maveli]

Buying prop planes like A400M or C-130J for strategic airlift role would be a spectacular leap backwards. Even the Japanese C-2 barely qualifies as a strategic transport. One compromise could be buying the new Russian Il-76 90A upgrade. They are still making it I think.

Why would it be a leap backwards? What are our strategic airlift requirements?

 

[Okabe Rintarou]

Why would it be a leap backwards?

These prop planes would fly slower to shorter ranges with lesser payload. Even the best of these (A-400M) can't carry tank-weight payloads, and what maximum they can carry (around 30 tons) is less than half of a C-17 at around similar range of around 4,500km away. And mind you, when carrying a similar payload, the C-17 has a shorter take-off run than the A-400M. How would going from the latter to the former not be a leap backwards?

What are our strategic airlift requirements?

Not privy to internal details but given that IAF only classifies Il-76 and C-17 as strategic transports, I take their publicly available range/load figures and general configuration as the benchmark.
So at this point in time, the only aircraft in production that barely satisfies these benchmarks is the Il-76-90A.

Now yes you can wave that CAG report in my face and argue that C-17's lift capacity goes underutilized in most missions, but that is because most missions they are currently used for involves HADR and NRI evacuation from conflict zones. Wartime missions would demand full utilization of C-17 capability.

 

[johnj]

These prop planes would fly slower to shorter ranges with lesser payload. Even the best of these (A-400M) can't carry tank-weight payloads, and what maximum they can carry (around 30 tons) is less than half of a C-17 at around similar range of around 4,500km away. And mind you, when carrying a similar payload, the C-17 has a shorter take-off run than the A-400M. How would going from the latter to the former not be a leap backwards?


Not privy to internal details but given that IAF only classifies Il-76 and C-17 as strategic transports, I take their publicly available range/load figures and general configuration as the benchmark.
So at this point in time, th eonly aircraft in production that barely satisfies these benchmarks is the Il-76-90A.

Now yes you can wave that CAG report in my face and argue that C-17's lift capacity goes underutilized in most missions, but that is because most missions they are currently used for involves HADR and NRI evacuation from conflict zones. Wartime missions would demand full utilization of C-17 capability.

''So at this point in time, th eonly aircraft in production that barely satisfies these benchmarks is the Il-76-90A.''
Chinese Xi'an Y-20 also in production.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

Chinooks is heavy helicopter rated to haul 15 tons externally. Medium lift helos can lift under 10-12 tons.

I think new engine with France is under development. Our own 1200 KW engine is also in final stage of Production. That will boost the capability of our LCH, ALH and Rudra. It will carry much more load to Siachen. More powerful and reliable choppers is the key. We can use those engines to make something like Apache with greater fire power.