If there is one deficiency that has adverse impact on the operational capability of the combat fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF), it is in respect of flight refuelling aircraft (FRA). Also called “aerial tankers”, these platforms serve as a true force multiplier that substantially enhance the combat potential of the fleet of fighter aircraft of the IAF. Apart from the longstanding military confrontation with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the North-Eastern part of India, the nation now faces new challenges on account of the eruption of fresh military conflict in Eastern Ladakh between the troops of the Indian Army and of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that took place over a year ago. This development has further accentuated the need for the IAF to ensure that its combat fleet is fully geared up to undertake strike missions against targets deep inside China in the event of large scale conflict or an allout war with China. The IAF thus needs to build up a sizeable fleet of FRA.

Currently, the IAF has on its inventory, a fleet of six IL-78 aerial tankers that were procured from Uzbekistan at a cost of $50 million per aircraft with the first one arriving in 2003. The IAF opted for this platform for two reasons. Firstly, the IL-78 is essentially a derivative the IL-76 heavy transport aircraft and the IAF was already operating a fleet of 14 of these platforms that were procured from Uzbekistan beginning in 1985. Given this linkage with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), it was much easier to negotiate the purchase of the IL-78 FRA. Secondly, since the IAF had already built up elaborate infrastructure as well as pool of technical manpower for the maintenance of the IL-76 fleet, very little additional effort was required by the IAF to operationalise the newly acquired IL-78 aerial tankers.

Unfortunately, the fleet of IL-78 FRA on the inventory of the IAF has been afflicted by serious maintenance problems that the IAF has not been able to resolve primarily owing to lack of adequate product support from the OEM. Consequently, the serviceability of the fleet has been declining over the years reducing drastically the availability of this platform to support operations of the combat fleet. The refuelling pods on the IL-78 are also prone to failure thus compounding the problem for the IAF. Hence the capability of the combat fleet of the IAF to operate effectively against the enemy across the LAC, stands compromised to a great extent. The IAF does need a larger fleet and more reliable fleet of aerial tankers as all combat aircraft inducted into the IAF in the future, will have in-flight refuelling capability.

It was in 2006, three years after the induction of the IL-78 that the IAF embarked on a plan to expand its fleet of FRA with the induction of six new platforms. In the first global tender, the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) emerged as the preferred platform that was far superior in capability when compared with the IL-78. The tender encountered some insurmountable impediments at the level of the Indian Ministry of Finance over issues related to high cost. The first attempt at the procurement of the new fleet of FRA thus failed and the tender was finally cancelled in 2009. In the second tender floated in 2011, bids from competing firms were received by the first week of 2014. In this tender too, once again the Airbus A330 MRTT emerged as the platform of choice. Unfortunately, this time too, the tender hit a road block once again on pricing issues and was finally cancelled in 2016 leaving the IAF in a serious dilemma.

Having been traumatised twice due to rejection of its choice of FRA, the IAF was not really keen to have a tender floated by the Ministry of Defence for the third time. Fortunately, in a change in policy in March 2020 on acquisition of military aircraft and weapon systems, for the first time, the government has permitted long-term lease instead of purchase of military aircraft or other military hardware. The objective behind this change in policy is to cut down on the phenomenal expenditure involved in bulk purchase of aircraft and weapon systems. Under this new provision, the IAF has added on its list the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus FRA as one more option.

In its effort to induct a fleet of six FRA to enhance its operational capability, the journey of the IAF over the last 15 years has been nothing but a mere “wild goose chase”. But this is not the only case of its kind as the IAF has had a somewhat similar experience in trying to procure 126 medium multi role combat aircraft. This effort too has not been successful so far. The lesson that clearly emerges from these failed attempts to procure military aircraft from abroad is that the IAF can no longer depend on foreign sources to sustain or enhance its operational potential. In the final analysis, the solution in the long term lies only in the development of indigenous capability.