IAF to set indigenous overhaul facilities for western-origin transport aircraft in collaboration with industry

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, February 12

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking at establishing indigenous repair and overhaul facilities for its fleet of western-origin transport aircraft in collaboration with Indian industrial partners.

The project covers heavy maintenance and depot overhaul facilities for airframe and mechanical, electro-mechanical and avionics components as well as ground support equipment of the aircraft Boeing C-17, Lockheed C-130J, Boeing 777 and Boeing 737 in IAF inventory.

Only Indian industrial partners having the requisite experience and technical expertise would be permitted to participate in the project in association with the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), according to an Expression of Interest (EoI) issued by the IAF on February 9.

“The industrial partner has to independently carry out discussions and negotiations with respective OEMs for providing necessary technology and quality approvals for carrying out repair and overhaul of aircraft and aggregates,” the EoI states.

“Possible items with common repair and overhaul line with commercial operators may also be identified to arrive at economy of scale. In case of proposing a new item as replacement of existing system, necessary approvals for substitution product needs to be obtained and airworthiness certification acquired,” the EoI adds.

The industrial partner would have to establish the infrastructure required for setting up of repair and overhaul facilities as per OEM specifications and western-origin transport fleet requirements. The IAF’s existing technical facilities at its airbases and depots in terms of hangar, machinery, equipment, back shops, etc can also be utilised by the partners on a sharing basis with the Air Force.

The aforementioned fleet in the project includes 11 C-17 Globemaster heavy lift aircrafts and 12 C-130J Super Hercules medium lift that are used for transport and special operations, two Boeing 777-300ER and three Boeing 737-700 business jets that are used for ferrying VIPs.

The present EoI covers only US-made aircraft. Other western-origin aircraft in IAF services include the Brazilian Embraer Legacy 600 for VIP transport and the German origin Dornier Do-228 for communication roles. The IAF is also procuring the European CASA C-295 tactical transporter to replace the ageing British HS-748 Avro.

Since the mid-1980s, Soviet/Russian origin aircraft have been the workhorse of the IAF’s transport fleet. These Include the IL-76 heavy lift aircraft and IL-78 mid-air refuellers that can also be used for transport and the AN-32 tactical transporter. 

Earlier, British and American aircraft were the mainstay of the IAF airlift capability. It was only in the last decade that the IAF began re-inducting western transporters.

According to IAF sources, under the terms and conditions of procurement of US-made aircraft as part of the government-to-government military sales, major repair and overhaul at present is undertaken by the OEM. As far as Russian aircrafts are concerned, the AN-32s are overhauled in India, but IL-76/78 are sent overseas.

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