The Indian Air Force (IAF) has received approval from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to lease a single Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft from the French Air and Space Force.
This arrangement, set for a duration of three years, is intended to supplement the IAF's current aerial refuelling capabilities, which are under strain due to issues with its existing tanker fleet, while also allowing personnel to gain experience with the modern A330 MRTT.
While the lease marks a significant step, the exact date when the French A330 MRTT will arrive in India remains uncertain.
This leasing initiative serves as a temporary measure to address immediate operational requirements. It also aligns with the IAF's longer-term objective to acquire six new A330 MRTT aircraft, a procurement plan that has faced delays primarily due to cost considerations cited by the Ministry of Defence.
The IAF's current aerial refuelling squadron consists of six Ilyushin Il-78 tankers, which entered service between 2003 and 2004. This fleet has reportedly encountered ongoing maintenance difficulties, leading to serviceability rates frequently falling below 50 percent.
This availability is considerably lower than the standard operational benchmark, typically around 70 percent, impacting the IAF's capacity to conduct extended operations, particularly important given the security situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and missions in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Derived from the civilian Airbus A330-200 passenger jet, the twin-engine A330 MRTT offers substantial enhancements compared to the older, four-engine Il-78. It boasts a large fuel carrying capacity of 111 tonnes and can fly up to 14,800 kilometres without refuelling.
The aircraft is equipped with both under-wing pods and an advanced aerial refuelling boom system, allowing it to refuel multiple IAF fighter jets like the Su-30 MKI, Rafale, and Jaguar simultaneously.
The three-year agreement is structured as a "wet lease," meaning it includes the French flight crew and maintenance support, offering a financially viable short-term option. This allows the IAF to train its crews and evaluate the MRTT's suitability for Indian operational conditions without the large upfront investment of a purchase.
This lease agreement follows nearly a decade of efforts by the IAF to modernize its tanker fleet. The A330 MRTT was selected as the preferred aircraft in two separate procurement attempts, in 2009 and 2013, chosen over the Russian Il-78 based on assessments favouring its lower long-term operating costs and its ability to function as both a tanker and a transport aircraft.
However, both purchase proposals, estimated to cost between $1.5 to $2 billion for six aircraft, were ultimately cancelled by the MoD's finance wing due to the high initial acquisition cost. Arguments pointing to the potentially higher lifecycle expenses of the ageing Il-78 design did not overcome the focus on upfront expenditure at the time.
The decision to lease has been facilitated by provisions within the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which formally introduced leasing as a method for acquiring defence equipment.
This government-to-government wet lease, reportedly expected to be finalized within the 2025-2026 financial year, allows the IAF to bypass previous procurement obstacles.
The IAF already has some familiarity with the French MRTTs, having interacted with them during joint military exercises such as Desert Knight 21 in 2021 and the recent Tarang Shakti-2024.
Despite securing the lease, the IAF maintains its goal of eventually purchasing and integrating six A330 MRTTs into its permanent force structure, a requirement outlined in a Request for Information (RFI) issued in 2018. The leased aircraft will provide valuable data and operational experience, strengthening the case for future acquisition.
Officials emphasize the MRTT's compatibility, particularly with the French-origin Rafale fighters, and its superior performance at high altitudes, such as the Ladakh sector, noting its capability to fly missions with a radius of 1,800 kilometres while offloading 50 tonnes of fuel over a four-hour period.
