IAF tender for 60 multirole transport aircraft puts Brazil, US and Russia in race | aviationbizz.com
Three major aerospace manufacturers from Brazil, the United States, and Russia are expected to compete for the Indian Air Force (IAF) programme to procure 60 multirole transport aircraft.
Defence officials stated that the proposal is likely to be reviewed soon by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which will decide the next stage of the procurement process.
Under the proposed plan, around 20% of the aircraft will be delivered to the IAF in fly-away condition, while the remaining aircraft will be manufactured in India with more than 60% indigenous components. The production will take place through joint ventures between Indian defence companies and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Brazil’s aerospace firm Embraer has partnered with Mahindra Defence for the project. Meanwhile, US defence major Lockheed Martin has teamed up with Tata Group, and Russia’s Ilyushin is expected to collaborate with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Currently, the IAF operates 12 C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft. In addition, the force is already working with Airbus on the acquisition of around 70 C-295 transport aircraft, most of which will be manufactured in India as part of the country’s growing domestic defence production programme.
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