India Seeks Replacement for An-32 and Buys 150 Training Aircraft

India’s Ministry of Defense has issued two requests for the procurement of 60 multirole transport aircraft and 150 jet trainer aircraft.

The total value of the two defense programs is estimated at $12 billion, according to Armádní noviny.

The larger project involves the acquisition of 60 transport aircraft with a payload capacity of 18 to 30 tons, valued at $10.5 billion.

The tender is open only to Indian companies, which are required to establish joint ventures with foreign manufacturers.

Under the Make in India policy, the first 12 aircraft will be delivered complete, while the remainder will be assembled in India with up to 60% of production localized.

The main contenders are Mahindra Defence in partnership with Brazilian company Embraer and its C-390 aircraft, and Tata Advanced Systems with the C-130J Super Hercules from Lockheed Martin.

Meanwhile, HAL is considering reviving a joint project with Russia for the Il-214 aircraft. The new aircraft are intended to replace the aging fleet of approximately 100 An-32 transport aircraft.

The second program, worth about $1.8 billion, involves the acquisition of 150 Stage-III (F) category jet trainers for fighter pilot training.

The contract is expected to be signed within the next 12-16 months, while deliveries are to be completed within 60 months of the agreement entering into force.

The newly acquired aircraft will replace the outdated Hawk Mk132 trainers and provide pilot training for flying Rafale, Tejas and Su-30MKI combat aircraft.

Previous delays in procuring jet trainers have led to a high accident rate because of insufficient pilot skills during the transition to supersonic aircraft.

The main local candidate to supply the training aircraft is HAL’s HLFT-42 project.

Potential foreign competitors include Italy’s Leonardo M-346 Master, South Korea’s KAI T-50 Golden Eagle and the U.S.-Swedish Boeing/Saab T-7A Red Hawk.