After crash, India inks $400 million deal for AN-32 fleet upgrade

New Delhi: Soon after an Antonov-32 crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, killing 13 military personnel on board, India has inked a $400 million deal with Ukraine to upgrade IAF's aging transport fleet of 104 such aircraft.
Though the contract was in the pipeline for a long time, with the AN-32s fast approaching the end of their "total technical life'' of 25 years by this year-end, the June 9 crash seems to have propelled the government to finally close the deal.
Russia, of course, remains miffed with India for moving towards signing a defence cooperation pact with Ukraine. Russia sees Ukraine, which inherited a robust defence industry after the Soviet Union breakup two decades ago, as a rival to its thriving arms exports business with India.
Under the contract, all the 104 AN-32s will get an upgrade and life extension overhaul over a period of five years, with an initial lot being sent to Ukraine and the rest undergoing it at Kanpur BRD (base repair depot).
"The project will be executed between 2009 and 2013. It will include life extension of both the engines and airframe, improved avionics suite, communication equipment and landing aids,'' said an official.
The medium-tactical transport AN-32s have had a relatively good flight safety record in IAF as compared to the MiG fighters, with the last major crash being recorded in Delhi in 1999, which killed 21 people. Of the 118 AN-32s inducted in 1984 to replace the then aging Dakota, Caribu and Packet planes, 14 have been lost in crashes till now.
But the twin-turboprop fleet, the IAF workhorse to ferry troops and supplies to forward areas, has suffered from poor serviceability, tardy maintenance, delays in overhauls and shortage of spares, resulting in a high AOG (aircraft on ground) percentage.
18/06/09 Times of India

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Categories: Foreign Jun 2009, Safety Jun 2009