My heart goes out to the families, friends and colleagues of all the 13 Indian Air Force personnel who lost their lives in the recent AN-32 crash in the forested mountainous region of Arunachal Pradesh. Being in the Air Force family for over four decades, I am aware of how challenging it can be for those involved in the search and rescue mission; it is like looking for a needle in that jungle. Determination unified our national effort that did eventually succeed in locating the crash site.
During the eight days of wait since the Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft crashed on 3 June, many reports and media analysis came out in public domain. This accident calls for introspection about the ways in which India views its losses and its responses to such tragedies. The news quickly become stale but the trauma remains. So does the fear: can it happen again? After all, it was not the first time that a military aircraft got lost flying over a jungle or the Himalayas. But will we see any action that actually prevents these accidents from taking place or will there be only statements of intent and expressions of grief over the losses?
The AN-32 has been the workhorse of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Hundreds of crew operate these aircraft and thousands are involved in maintaining this fleet today. We owe it to them. The AN-32 was a brand-new design when it entered the service in 1986, with the IAF as the ‘launch customer’. It proved reliable and its powerful engines gave high safety margins, especially while operating over the Himalayas. However, the aircraft aged quickly in service, requiring repairs and increased maintenance. Cumulatively, these contributed to AN-32’s early ageing.
An ‘upgrade’ was proposed in 2009 to improve the structural integrity, avionics and communication suits. It is reported that some 46 aircraft out of over a hundred in the AN-32 fleet have been upgraded so far. A slow pace indeed! The necessity to upgrade the aircraft arose out of obsolescence and wear and tear. However, considering the delays and further ageing, spares would become more expensive and difficult to acquire. The IAF is the only major operator of the AN-32 in the world today.
17/06/ACM S. Krishna Swamy/Print
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During the eight days of wait since the Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft crashed on 3 June, many reports and media analysis came out in public domain. This accident calls for introspection about the ways in which India views its losses and its responses to such tragedies. The news quickly become stale but the trauma remains. So does the fear: can it happen again? After all, it was not the first time that a military aircraft got lost flying over a jungle or the Himalayas. But will we see any action that actually prevents these accidents from taking place or will there be only statements of intent and expressions of grief over the losses?
The AN-32 has been the workhorse of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Hundreds of crew operate these aircraft and thousands are involved in maintaining this fleet today. We owe it to them. The AN-32 was a brand-new design when it entered the service in 1986, with the IAF as the ‘launch customer’. It proved reliable and its powerful engines gave high safety margins, especially while operating over the Himalayas. However, the aircraft aged quickly in service, requiring repairs and increased maintenance. Cumulatively, these contributed to AN-32’s early ageing.
An ‘upgrade’ was proposed in 2009 to improve the structural integrity, avionics and communication suits. It is reported that some 46 aircraft out of over a hundred in the AN-32 fleet have been upgraded so far. A slow pace indeed! The necessity to upgrade the aircraft arose out of obsolescence and wear and tear. However, considering the delays and further ageing, spares would become more expensive and difficult to acquire. The IAF is the only major operator of the AN-32 in the world today.
17/06/ACM S. Krishna Swamy/Print
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