DefenseIndia has taken a step toward renewing its tactical airlift fleet after the Defence Procurement Board approved a program to acquire 60 medium transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The proposal, valued at roughly 1 trillion rupees (about $12 billion), will now move to the Defence Acquisition Council for formal approval before the tender process begins.
Under the plan, 12 aircraft would be delivered in flyaway condition while the remaining 48 would be assembled in India in partnership with domestic industry. Officials said the program will follow the country’s “Buy and Make” procurement model, which requires a significant level of local manufacturing and technology transfer.
The aircraft are intended primarily to replace the IAF’s Antonov An-32 fleet, which entered service in the mid-1980s and has become increasingly difficult to maintain due to aging airframes and limited spare parts. The new transport aircraft are also expected to assume some missions currently performed by the larger Ilyushin Il-76 fleet.
The requirement calls for an aircraft capable of operating from short or semi-prepared runways and at high-altitude airfields, including advanced landing grounds in Ladakh and India’s northeastern regions. These conditions played a critical role during the military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, when airlift became essential for sustaining troop deployments and moving equipment into mountainous areas.
Several aircraft types are expected to compete for the contract
Brazil’s Embraer has proposed the C-390 Millennium, a jet-powered transport aircraft capable of carrying about 26 tonnes of payload. The company has partnered with Mahindra Defence for the Indian program.
Lockheed Martin is offering the C-130J Super Hercules, which already serves in the IAF fleet. The aircraft has a payload capacity of around 20 tonnes and benefits from an established logistics and maintenance ecosystem in India. Lockheed Martin works with Tata Advanced Systems for manufacturing programs in the country.
Airbus is expected to promote the A400M Atlas, a larger aircraft capable of carrying more than 30 tonnes. While its payload capacity exceeds the IAF’s stated requirement range, the aircraft combines tactical and strategic airlift capabilities.
Another potential contender is Russia’s Ilyushin, which could propose a new transport aircraft to replace the Il-76 family currently operated by the Indian Air Force. Russian industry has longstanding ties with India’s military aviation sector, supplying aircraft such as the Il-76 and Il-78 tankers. According to Indian media reports, Ilyushin could partner with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) if it enters the competition.
Industrial considerations are expected to weigh heavily in the selection process. Indian officials have emphasized that the decision will depend not only on operational capability but also on technology transfer, domestic production and the development of a local aerospace ecosystem.
The program comes after earlier efforts to develop a joint medium transport aircraft with Russia failed to progress, leaving the IAF with a growing need to modernize its tactical airlift fleet.
