IAF IMPERATIVES
IAF enhanced combat capability against the Chinese threat. With deliveries and orders amounting to 272, it will be the mainstay of the combat fleet for the foreseeable future. But its range is only about 3,000 km, meaning it cannot engage targets more than 1,500 km away; whereas the one-way distance from Kolkata to Beijing is about 3,200 km and to Shanghai over 3,400 km. The aircraft’s combat radius can be increased by carrying less weapons and more fuel, but that implies reducing the punch. Obviously the IAF cannot claim a credible offensive capability against China without the increased reach that FRA platforms confer. Therefore, in 2003-04, the IAF inducted six Ilyushin II-78MKI tanker aircraft and they equip 78 MARS Squadron located at Agra. MARS stands for Mid Air Refuelling Squadron.
The II-78MKI is a four-engine jet based on the II-76 platform. It is a dedicated tanker, custom-built for the IAF in Uzbekistan and fitted with an Israeli hose-and-drogue fuel transfer system. It carries extra tanks to enhance its total capacity and can refuel six to eight Su-30MKI aircraft per mission. While the basic II-78 is difficult to switch from tanker to transport role, the variant that the IAF has can be quickly converted into a transport aircraft by sliding out one or both auxiliary fuel tanks. Russia is also developing an improved variant called the II-78MK-90 powered by upgraded turbofans. It has a digital automatic flight management system and glass cockpit and can operate from unpaved airfields.
Since the IAF soon found that AAR capability brings immense operational gains it felt the need to acquire additional FRA on priority. That’s when the problems began.
The A330 MRTT can perform various roles in the same mission without reconfiguration because, unlike the II-78MKI, it does not need additional fuel tanks and its cargo or passenger carriage space is always free. This makes it possible to provide comprehensive support to a combat squadron proceeding on detachment since the same A330 MRTT can refuel the fighters as well as ferry essential maintenance personnel and servicing equipment.
The A330 MRTT has a range of 14,800 km and a cruising speed of 860 kmph. It offers excellent fuel economy since it has two engines against four on the II-78MKI. It can remain airborne about 15 hours at cruising speeds against just over ten hours for the II-78MKI. Therefore, if the tanker needs to orbit on station or fly some distance before it can transfer fuel, the A330’s lower fuel consumption rate offers much more transferable fuel.
Maintenance support also should not pose a problem because the state-owned carrier Air India operates a large fleet of A330 airliners. As of February 2016, the A330 MRTT has attracted 49 orders of which 27 have been delivered. Airbus expects to deliver the first A330 MRTT to the IAF within three years of signing the contract, and the remaining five within another 15 months. Overall, the A330 MRTT features performance far superior to the IAF’s II-78MKI tankers. Moreover, the IAF is experiencing significant problems with the product support of the II-78MKI’s original equipment manufacturer. The fleet serviceability is often low due to tardy supply of spare parts. Since this situation is common to most Russian origin platforms there is no reason to believe it will improve. Therefore, to discount the A330 MRTT’s numerous advantages, including life-cycle cost and favour the II-78MKI because it comes with a lower initial price tag, amounts to being penny wise pound foolish.
Some sources indicate the A330 MRTT contract may be on low priority because of paucity of funds. However, this ignores the operational imperatives since the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China is augmenting its tanker fleet of ten Xian HY-6U aircraft with three refurbished II-78 aircraft that it ordered from Ukraine in 2011. China is certain to induct more FRA in pursuit of its dream of regional dominance.
In frustration, the IAF has now asked the Ministry of Defence to reach a decision, one way or another. The IAF is of the view that since the A330 MRTT contract is of vital operational necessity it should either be inked without further delay or at least scrapped so that the whole process can begin a third time.
The IAF’s angst is understandable because its existing II-78MKI tanker aircraft are grossly inadequate for its large fleet of Su-30MKIs, Mirage 2000s, Jaguars and MiG-29s. It calculates that major operations anywhere in the region or against China would need another dozen or so FRA. That is why the RFP has an option for an additional six aircraft. The IAF plans to deploy the new A330 MRTT aircraft at the IAF base at Panagarh, West Bengal, renamed as Air Force Station Arjan Singh. The Mountain Strike corps of the Indian Army, which is expected to be raised by 2021, will be located at Panagarh. Without these FRA, operations against China would be seriously hamstrung because very few IAF combat aircraft might hope to reach their targets.