IAF hunts for new transport plane

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has initiated the process of acquiring a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA), which will be a replacement for the Soviet-origin AN-32 fleet, procured in the mid-1980s

Bidders can submit their proposals by March 31

The IAF is looking at a plane that will have greater load-carrying capacity than AN-32 or special operations plane C-130J, which can carry 7.5 tonne and 19 tonne maximum load, respectively

The IAF operates 100 AN-32 and has 12 C-130J sourced from the US

It wants the MTA to carry out multiple roles and have a capacity to hold 18-30 tonne weight.

Also, the bidder needs to set up dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes, in India, either through its own subsidiary or in a joint venture.