New Delhi has issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) to acquire 60 Multi-Role Transport Aircraft (MTA) for the Indian Air Force, with the program estimated to be worth around 1 trillion rupees ($10.4 billion).
The MTA program is intended to replace the Indian Air Force’s aging Soviet-era Antonov An-32 fleet while filling the capability gap between its light and heavy strategic transport aircraft.
According to Indian media reports, the tender seeks aircraft in the 18- to 30-tonne (39,683- to 66,139-pound) payload category. The new platforms will also be required to operate from rough and high-altitude airstrips, including Advanced Landing Grounds in Ladakh and India’s northeastern region.
Once inducted, the aircraft are expected to perform a range of missions, including troop transport, cargo delivery, medical evacuation, humanitarian assistance, and potentially aerial refueling.
Two leading foreign contenders are expected to emerge, including Lockheed Martin’s C-130J Super Hercules, which has a payload capacity of around 19 tonnes (41,888 pounds), and Embraer’s KC-390 Millennium, capable of carrying up to 26 tonnes (57,320 pounds).
Airbus had previously proposed the A400M, but its 37-tonne (81,571-pound) payload capacity is believed to exceed the upper payload requirement outlined in the RFP.
Fly-Away and Domestic Production
In line with New Delhi’s “Make in India” initiative, the first batch of MTA aircraft is expected to be delivered in a mission-ready fly-away configuration, while the remaining aircraft will be manufactured in India.
The domestic production plan requires an initial indigenous content level of 40 percent, which is expected to increase to 60 percent as the program progresses.
Indian companies invited to participate include Tata Advanced Systems, which partners with Lockheed Martin; Mahindra Defence, which collaborates with Embraer; Adani Defence; Reliance Defence; and state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The selected industrial partners will be required to establish a final assembly line in India, along with long-term maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities, creating a sustained domestic manufacturing and support base for the country’s growing defense sector.
