Platform profile · India · Strategic transport aircraft and aerial-refuelling tanker fleet · Indian Air Force
DAC approved the MTA procurement case on 27 March 2026 to replace the Il-76 and An-32 fleets.
On 27 March 2026, the Defence Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity for a Medium Transport Aircraft programme intended to replace the IAF's Il-76 and An-32 fleets. The aircraft remain operational: one Il-76 and two Il-78s supported India's Bright Star deployment to Egypt through 10 September 2025, while Il-78s also performed tanker missions during major exercises earlier that year. The IAF formally inducted the Il-76 on 16 June 1985, and a 2017 CAG audit recorded 14 transport aircraft plus six Il-78 tankers acquired in 2003-04. That audit identified low serviceability, delayed overhaul and 1985-vintage avionics, although current fleet availability is not publicly disclosed. Together, the Il-76 heavy-lift and Il-78 tanker force still supplies strategic reach, so the replacement decision matters directly to India's ability to move forces and sustain fighters at distance.
Updated 17 Jul 2026
Verified figures
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Il-76 Indian fleet recorded by CAG | 14 aircraft, procured from 1985 to 1989 ↗ |
| Il-76 maximum payload | 47 tonnes ↗ |
| Il-76 all-up weight | 190 tonnes ↗ |
| Il-76 maximum passenger capacity | 225 passengers ↗ |
| Il-76 mission set | Transport of personnel and materiel, remote-area air maintenance, and emergency evacuation ↗ |
| Il-78 Indian fleet recorded by CAG | 6 aircraft, procured in 2003-04 ↗ |
| Il-78 primary role | Air-to-air refuelling ↗ |
| Il-78 all-up weight | 210 tonnes ↗ |
| Il-76 engine-overhaul interval | 2,000 hours, 1,500 flight cycles or 10 years, whichever occurs first ↗ |
| Il-78 engine-overhaul interval | 3,000 hours, 1,500 flight cycles or 10 years, whichever occurs first ↗ |
Spec sources: cag.gov.in ↗
Changelog
An Il-78 operated from Juanda airport, Surabaya, to refuel IAF Rafales transiting Indonesian airspace en route to Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Darwin, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta said.
The Defence Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity for a Medium Transport Aircraft programme to replace the IAF's An-32 and Il-76 fleets as part of approvals worth about Rs 2.38 lakh crore.
By the end of Exercise Bright Star in Egypt, two Il-78s and one Il-76 had supported induction and de-induction of India's 227-person tri-service contingent alongside two C-17s.
Two Il-78s supported the ferry of four Su-30MKIs from Jamnagar to Cairo, with one pull tanker operating from Abu Dhabi and one push tanker from Naliya.
Two Il-78s completed TROPEX participation from Sulur and Goa, providing air-to-air refuelling to Indian Air Force and Indian Navy receivers during the main phase.
Two Il-78s refuelled four Jaguars and four Su-30s during an exercise with the French carrier strike group off Goa.
Il-76 and C-17 aircraft began moving empty oxygen tankers to filling stations and carried biosafety cabinets and autoclaves to Leh during India's COVID-19 response.
An IAF Il-78 transferred 1,900 kg of fuel to a Tejas at 20,000 ft and 270 kt during the fighter's first wet-contact refuelling trial.
By 13 May during Nepal earthquake relief, Il-76s had flown 30 sorties, carried 192.90 tonnes and evacuated 1,350 people, seven mortal remains and two lying patients.
Three Il-76s joined two C-17s to move 153 tonnes of water and relief supplies to Male during the Maldives water emergency.
The IAF began its first Red Flag deployment at Nellis with eight Su-30MKIs, two Il-78 tankers and one Il-76 transport aircraft for the 9-23 August exercise.
The Indian Air Force formally inducted the Il-76 into No. 44 Squadron after the unit brought the aircraft to India in March 1985.
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Four Rafales, two C-17s and 120-plus air warriors have landed in Darwin for Exercise Pitch Black 2026 — with an Il-78 topping up the fighters over Indonesia on the way, a small detail that says as much about India's reach as the exercise itself.
