ENHANCED STRATEGIC F'LEXIBILITY

As it prepares for emerging threats in modern warfare, the Indian Air Force (IAF) needs to urgently invest in force multipliers to enhance its capability against adversaries like China and Pakistan. This includes buying and, if possible, locally producing flight refuelling aircraft (FRA) under the 'Make in India' initiative. A Special Report

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Much like its other procurement programs, the IAF has been trying to acquire a new air refueler for years, but no breakthrough could be made. Almost twenty years ago, the IAF acquired six Ilyushin IL-78MKI refuelling aircraft. Located at the Agra Air Force Base, they can refuel fighters such as the Su-30MKI, Rafale, and Mirage 2000 by using the probe and drogue system. In this method, a retractable probe on the receiving aircraft attaches to a hose and basket (drogue) that are extended from the tanker aircraft.

These Soviet-origin aircraft face persistent maintenance and serviceability issues, with availability rates frequently hovering below 50% due to problems associated with refuelling pods and spare parts shortages that have aggravated in the wake of the Ukraine War. Furthermore, they are incompatible with US-origin aircraft, such as the C-17 Globemaster III and the P-81 Poseidon, that can only be refuelled using a flying boom.

The flying boom refuelling method differs from probe and drogue in that a dedicated operator inserts a rigid, telescoping boom from a tanker aircraft into a receptacle on a receiving aircraft, allowing for high-speed fuel transfer.

Therefore, to address this gap, India has taken some temporary measures.

This includes a wet lease agreement signed with US-based company Metrea for an American KC-135 Stratotanker. A workhorse of the US Air Force for decades, the Stratotanker will provide an interim refuelling solution to the aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The wet leasing, which covers crew and maintenance support, is expected to commence in October 2025.