13 feared dead in Air Force crash; overhaul of AN-32 aircraft languishes

Ukraine-Russia spat over Crimea derails AN-32 fleet modernisation

In a harsh reminder of the unforgiving terrain the Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft operate in, one of these IAF workhorses crashed in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday. There were 13 military personnel on board. 

The aircraft was flying from Jorhat, over high, densely forested mountains, to the advanced landing ground (ALG) at Mechuka, close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. AN-32s carry supplies that sustain army troops on the LAC. 

“No wreckage has been sighted so far. IAF is coordinating with Indian Army as well as various government and civil agencies to locate the missing aircraft,” stated the IAF. 

The crash was an eerie echo of another one almost exactly a decade ago, when 13 personnel were killed in June 2009, when an AN-32 crashed soon after taking off from Mechuka.

In another incident that remains a mystery, an AN-32 with 29 personnel on board disappeared from radar screens on July 22, 2016, when flying from Chennai to Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. No wreckage or bodies have ever been located.

Soon after the 2009 crash, the IAF signed a $400 million contract with Antonov, the Ukrainian firm that built the AN-32, for modernizing the 103 aircraft-strong fleet with improved avionics for flying in difficult conditions. The modernization was also intended to add ten years to the AN-32’s service life.

By 2014, 45 AN-32s were modernized in Ukraine, and then 10 more in the IAF base repair depot in Kanpur. But the programme then stalled when Russia annexed Ukrai­ne’s Crimean Peninsula. Kiev cut ties with Moscow and essential Russian components for the AN-32 upgrade became unavailable.

Monday’s crash again underscores the urgent need to resume the long-overdue modernization and overhaul of the AN-32 fleet that has been flying since the late 1980s. The aircraft that crashed was high in priority  for overhaul. Ukrainian sources say the development of AN-32 parts to replace those earlier provided by Russia is almost complete. Meanwhile, Ukraine has sourced some AN-32 components from the global market and resumed work in Kanpur. 

Modernization of the remaining 47 AN-32s can pick up pace only when Ukrainian components start flowing. 

The AN-32 carries up to 6 tonnes of cargo or 50 passengers. It operates from small ALGs like Mechuka, and also provides a ferry service for local residents.