Ready to build new military transport aircraft, HAL tells IAF
Ready to build new military transport aircraft, HAL tells IAF
prativad
New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has told the Indian Air Force (IAF) that it is ready to build a medium category transport aircraft with an internal cargo capacity of 20 tonnes.
HAL was left out of the C-295M deal for the manufacturing of transport aircraft which for the first time went to the private sector.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) already has started the procurement process for a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) that would have a cargo-carrying capacity of between 18 and 30 tonnes and be used for a variety of transport aircraft duties.
According to a report by Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW), although it has been called the An-32 Replacement program, it is expected that additional orders by the IAF for the C-295M will eventually happen that will be replacing the ageing An-32 fleet.
IDRW quoted officials as saying that HAL will be propose the development of a Medium Category Transport Aircraft that is expected to bridge the size and capability gap between the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and the IL-76 aircraft in the IAF. This military aircraft is projected to have a maximum take-off weight of 80-90 tonnes and an internal cargo capacity of 30 tonnes.
HAL is already conducting negotiations with Brazil-based aviation company Embraer that has offered its C-390 Millennium which is a medium-size, twin-engine, jet-powered military transport aircraft. However, the current RFI will make it unsuitable since it has an internal cargo capacity of 23 tonnes.
According to reports, there is one more proposal regarding a military transport aircraft for the IAF, but the details of this proposal are yet to be made public.
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