THINKING AFRESH

The Indian Air Force is trying a new approach to address its shortfall of mid-air refuellers

- By ATUL CHANDRA

The Indian Air Force (IAF) can be considered to have a significant shortfall in dedicated midair refuelling capability with a fleet of only six IL-78 ‘Midas’ airborne tankers. Some of this shortfall is mitigated by using buddy-refuelling of fighter aircraft, but the IAF requires a much larger fleet of airborne tankers to undertake its operational requirements more sustainably.

A New Approach

The Air Force will soon try a new approach to addressing this shortfall, having inked a contract earlier this March with Metrea, a leading provider of commercial air-to-air refuelling (AAR) capabilities to provide Flight Refueler Aircraft (FRA) based out of AFS Agra. said James “Slim” Morgan, Head of Metrea Strategic Mobility, following the contract announcement in March.

The IAF’s decision to proceed with a commercial refuelling contract could, in the future, provide it with a much-needed option to acquire specialised assets in quick order for the future. Metrea is slated to begin operations with the first aircraft in India by the month end. Under the terms of the three-year contract, Metrea would provide the IAF with up to 100 airborne refuelling hours per month.

Metra owns and operates a fleet of C-/KC-135 aircraft, and its new contract with India represents additional growth of the commercial AAR market beyond Metrea's existing contract with the US Navy. Metrea’s tanker aircraft are equipped with two wing-mounted Multi-Point Refuelling System (MPRS) pods, which facilitate refuelling with probe-equipped aircraft. In the “Probe and Drogue” air-to-air refuelling methodology, the receiving aircraft has to accurately insert the receptacle probe into the basket-shaped drogue trailing behind the fuel tanker aircraft.