Kolkata, June 16 (IANS) Upgradation of the Indian Air Force (IAF) An-32 fleet has been severely impacted by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. According to sources, the supply of spares required for the upgrade from Ukraine has been disrupted due to the war.

“This may have nothing to do with Saturday’s crash at Jorhat. The Court of Inquiry will ascertain why that accident occurred. However, the war between Russia and Ukraine has certainly impacted the upgrade programme of this workhorse of the IAF,” a senior official said.

India had signed a $400 million deal with Ukraine to upgrade around 100 An-32s operated by the IAF. This involved overhauls of the airframes and Ivchenko AI-20 engines. The aircraft were also to be fitted with advanced avionics, navigation and communication systems developed by Ukraine.

The programme was first impacted in 2015 when Russia and Ukraine went to war. The deal was revived after that conflict ended, but has been affected again by the latest round of hostilities, now in its fifth year. The upgrades are being carried out at the IAF’s Base Repair Depot in Kanpur.

“The upgrades are intended to make the fleet last till the IAF receives modern Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA), the Request For Proposal (RFP) for which is at its final stage. It will take at least 10 years for the first MTAs to be inducted into the IAF, after which the An-32s can be phased out gradually. The upgrade is necessary for these aircraft to last that long,” the official added.

The An-32 is a customised, upgraded version of the Soviet-era An-26 that India started receiving in 1984. Over the next 42 years, there have been only 10 accidents involving the aircraft, a remarkable record given the number of flying hours they have logged while operating in harsh terrain and at high altitudes.

The An-32s have provided yeoman service to the Indian armed forces by keeping advanced, air-maintained posts supplied in remote parts of Arunachal Pradesh. These aircraft have been operating in harsh weather conditions and have landed on unprepared or semi-prepared runways at Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs).

“Most ALGs have now been upgraded, and that has taken some strain off, but the weather in the northeastern States remains an issue. It can pack up within minutes. These aircraft have been flying through that. Like all Soviet-era aircraft, the An-32s can pose a challenge to pilots unless they have mastered the skills. These aircraft are among the best for the role they perform,” an IAF pilot said.

With the monsoons arriving in the country, the An-32s will be in high demand for flood relief operations. Officials can only hope for a quick resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict for the upgrade programme to progress unhindered.

–IANS

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