India’s on-again, off-again aerial tanker saga edges closer to an end

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The Indian Air Force is currently on its fifth attempt to obtain air-to-air refueling aircraft, but it is now closer than ever to procuring these desperately needed force-multiplying assets.

The Defence Acquisition Council cleared a potential acquisition of six second-hand Boeing 767 commercial aircraft that will be converted into tankers by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

This step is called acceptance of necessity, and the deal is expected to be worth around $1 billion. A cost negotiation committee was established on Jan. 1 to finalize the price.

Once the price tag has been negotiated, the deal will be handed to the Cabinet Committee on Security for final approval before contract signing. According to some reports, this could occur as soon as March, with delivery of the first tanker sought from 2030.

IAI will manufacture the refueling modules in India, and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is set to receive some work as well as part of IAI’s offset requirements.

Instead of buying a top-draw tanker like the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), the IAF has pragmatically concluded that converting older aircraft is more cost-effective.

If everything goes according to plan, this choice will end India’s nearly 20-year search for additional aerial tankers.

In this long-running saga, the IAF first issued a request for proposals for six tankers in 2006, in which the A330 MRTT was shortlisted, before the effort was cancelled in 2010. The same selection-cancellation process occurred when tenders were floated in 2010 and 2018.

In the meantime, the Indian Air Force’s tanker fleet comprising six Ilyushin Il-78MKI aircraft acquired from Uzbekistan in 2003-2004, is running on fumes. A decade ago, the serviceability rate of the Il-78MKI was at just 49% due to parts shortages.

Last year, the Indian Air Force decided to lease a single Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker from Metrea to fill gaps. However, flown by American crews, these aircraft would not be available during a time of conflict when they are most needed.

Aerial tankers are vital for extending the reach of Indian fighter jets, such as for overseas deployments, as well as giving them longer legs over home territory.

India’s air service is also struggling to induct the fighter jets that it needs. It currently possesses just 29 squadrons instead of the 42.5 it is authorized to have.

The IAI Multi-Mission Tanker Transport being eyed by India is already operated by Colombia, which received one unit in 2010.

Gordon Arthur is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. After a 20-year stint working in Hong Kong, he now resides in New Zealand. He has attended military exercises and defense exhibitions in about 20 countries around the Asia-Pacific region.

新西兰基督城——印度空军目前正在第五次尝试获取空中加油机，但现在比以往任何时候都更接近获得这些急需的、能够倍增战斗力的装备。

国防采购委员会批准了一项潜在的采购计划，即购买六架二手波音767商用飞机，这些飞机将由以色列航空航天工业公司（IAI）改装成加油机。

这一步骤被称为接受必要性，预计交易价值约为10亿美元。1月1日成立了一个成本谈判委员会，负责最终确定价格。

一旦价格谈判完成，该交易将提交内阁安全委员会进行最终批准，之后才能签署合同。据一些报道，最早可能在3月份完成，首艘油轮预计将于2030年交付。

IAI 将在印度制造加油模块，印度斯坦航空有限公司 (HAL) 也将获得一些订单，以满足 IAI 的部分抵消需求。

印度空军务实地认为，与其购买像空客A330多用途加油运输机（MRTT）这样的一流加油机，不如改装旧飞机更具成本效益。

如果一切按计划进行，这一选择将结束印度近20年来对额外空中加油机的寻求。

在这场旷日持久的争论中，印度空军于 2006 年首次发布了六架加油机的招标邀请书，A330 MRTT 曾入围，但该项目于 2010 年被取消。2010 年和 2018 年再次发布招标时，也出现了同样的遴选-取消过程。

与此同时，印度空军的加油机队——由2003年至2004年间从乌兹别克斯坦购入的六架伊尔-78MKI加油机组成——已接近报废。十年前，由于零部件短缺，伊尔-78MKI的可用率仅为49%。

去年，印度空军决定从美特雷亚公司租赁一架波音KC-135空中加油机以填补缺口。然而，由于这些飞机由美国机组人员驾驶，在冲突时期——也就是最需要它们的时候——它们却无法投入使用。

空中加油机对于扩大印度战斗机的作战范围至关重要，例如用于海外部署，以及延长其在本土的飞行距离。

印度空军在引进所需战斗机方面也面临困境。目前，印度空军仅有29个中队，而其编制为42.5个中队。

印度正在考虑购买的IAI多用途油轮运输机，哥伦比亚已经投入运营，该国于2010年接收了一台。

戈登·阿瑟是《防务新闻》的亚洲特派记者。在香港工作20年后，他现居新西兰。他曾到访亚太地区约20个国家，参加过军事演习和防务展览。