More than three years after the Indian Air Force (IAF) had issued a Request For Information (RFI) seeking replacement of its ageing transport fleet, the Defence Acquisition Board, headed by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, has cleared the acquisition of 60 Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA), expected to cost around ₹1 lakh crore.
Now the MTA programme -- for which there are two potential bidders, Embraer offering C-390-Millennium and Lockheed Martin’s C-130, which the Indian Air Force is already using -- will have to be cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, before the formal negotiations begin for the acquisition of medium transport aircraft in India.
Top Ministry sources confirmed to businessline that the DAB gave nod for 60 MTA that IAF has been seeking for long to replace ageing An-32 and Il-76 aircraft -- boh are of Russian origin.
Payload Criteria Fixed
As per the RFI issued on December 9, 2022, the IAF is seeking transporters in the 18-30 tonne payload class. The category specification rules out Airbus, whose A400M Atlas has the maximum capacity of 37 tonnes. Both the C-390-Millennium and the C-130 fall in the 18-30 tonne class.
The government is looking to acquire a certain number of aircraft in ready-to-fly condition and have the remaining manufactured locally, with about 50 per cent indigenous content (IC) to boost the indigenous aviation manufacturing ecosystem, people aware of the development said.
Rafale Model Replicated
This positioning is in tune with the central government also negotiating with France to manufacture 90 out of 114 Rafale fighter aircraft in India. The remaining 24 fighter jets, if the deal goes through, will be delivered to India as per the IAF’s specifications.
The IAF already has a fleet of 12 Lockheed Martin’s C-130J Super Hercules, which are often used for special operations, troop movement, and humanitarian disaster relief.
MRO Plans Announced
A Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation, Embraer and the Mahindra Group have already announced their intent to forge a partnership to establish Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capability in India for the C-390 Millennium, provided the foreign original manufacturer is selected for the MTA programme.
Tata-Lockheed Tie-Up
Similarly, Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd too have announced plans to set up an MRO facility here to support C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The move would build on the long-standing relationship between the two, as they have formed a company, Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL), and have recently delivered the 250th C-130J tail.
Published on March 3, 2026