The defence ministry has floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) worth close to Rs 1 lakh crore to acquire 60 Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) for the Indian Air Force. This is one of the biggest aviation procurement drives in years and aims to retire the Soviet-era An-32 fleet.The An-32 has provided yeoman service, flying men and material across the country. The aircraft has operated across the diverse environment of the country, ranging from the rainforests of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the south to the frigid deserts of Eastern Ladakh. The An-32 has been in service with the IAF for four decades and over a hundred aircraft are in service with the force. The move comes just two months after an AN-32 crash at Jorhat killed five crew members.The An-32 has a payload-lifting capability of around seven tons. The new aircraft procured by the IAF is also slated to handle some missions currently handled by the colossal and ageing Il-76 fleet, which can lift around 45 tons. The top contenders in the race for the IAF’s MTA are Airbus’ A400M, which has a lifting capability of 37 tons, Embraer’s C-390M Millennium, which has a capability to lift 26 tons; and the C-130J, which can carry over 20 tons. Of the three aircraft listed here, only the C-130J is in service with the IAF.Beyond basic cargo-hauling, these aircraft have evolved into versatile force multipliers. The Lockheed Martin C‑130 remains iconic for its adaptability, serving roles ranging from tactical airlift and medical evacuation to special operations and even as a firefighting platform. It has also been used to refuel helicopters at low speeds. Historic operations, such as Israel’s 1976 Entebbe raid, cemented its reputation.In India, the C‑130J has proven its worth across diverse terrains, ranging from tropical forests to high-altitude airstrips in Ladakh.The Embraer C‑390 Millennium represents a newer generation, designed to replace ageing C‑130 fleets with advanced avionics and fly‑by‑wire controls. Its 26‑tonne payload and rapid reconfiguration capability allow seamless switching between cargo, troop transport, parachute drops, medical evacuation and aerial refueling. This flexibility has attracted many nations, notably NATO members that have replaced their aging C-130s with this aircraft.Airbus’s A400M Atlas bridges tactical and strategic lift, carrying up to 37 tons, including armoured vehicles. Despite its size, it can operate from short, unprepared runways and has been deployed for humanitarian and firefighting missions. This aircraft is closer in size and function to the Il-76 than to the An-32, which could help alleviate stress on the ageing aircraft fleet.The transport fleet is the backbone of military operations in both eastern Ladakh and in eastern Arunachal Pradesh. The post-Galwan crisis demonstrated the importance of the tactical and strategic transport fleet. With a modernised and more capable fleet, the IAF will not only add to its own capability but also to the capability of the other services. This ability is not reserved for conflict alone, India has demonstrated its soft power by deploying resources to aid rescue and relief efforts using these aircraft. A recent example of this would be the deployment of the storied 60 Field Ambulance unit of the army to quake-hit Venezuela.
