IAF looks at US C-17s to replace Russian IL-76 aircraft

NEW DELHI: Left with an aging transport aircraft fleet, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has short listed the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III as the main contender for its new heavylift transport aircraft bids.

The aircraft was on the top in the tenders after IAF carried out a thorough study on its capability to take-off and land on short runways with heavy loads, IAF sources said.

Initially, IAF would go in for 10 C-17s through the US government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. "The Defense Ministry is at present considering the proposal. If accepted, the aircraft should be inducted in about three years after signing of a contract," the sources said.

In fact, the C-17 is quite a massive aircraft -- it is 174-feet long and 55-feet high with a 170-feet wingspan. But it can be flown by a pilot with a simple joystick, which can be lifesaving in a battle zone given its quick take-off capability at steep angles.

The aircraft, which has midair refueling capability, has been the mainstay of the US forces for deployment overseas and is the lifeline of US and NATO troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, industry sources said.

It can also carry large equipment, including tanks and supplies apart from troops, directly to small airfields in harsh terrain anywhere in the world day or night, they added.

India has been having problems relating to spares and supplies for the Soviet-origin aircraft, IL-76s and AN-32s.