Airbus Industrie is preparing to offer a multi-role transport plane based on Airbus A310 to the Indian Air Force (IAF) which is in the lookout for air-to-air refuelling (Aar) aircraft.
Called the multi-role tanker transport (MRTT), the modified A310 is meant for air-to-air refuelling and troop and equipment transport over long distances. The IAF is keen to procure Aar planes to double the 1,500 nautical mile range of its front-line Sukhoi-30 and the Mirage-2000 fighters.
The IAF is talking to Russia to procure IL-98 planes to fulfil this requirement. The Aar planes were to be bought last year but budgetary constraints forced it to put off the purchase.
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While IL-98s will be cheaper than A310s, they suffer from lack of multi-role capability and adaptability to suit both Russian and western fighters for refuelling purposes. Airbus sources said no formal offer has been made by Airbus for its MRTT but marketing the military version of the A310 was its priority.
The aircraft was still under development and will take a year or more to be ready for military service.
The MRTT project was part of Airbus plan to become a civil-military aircraft manufacturer to counter the Boeing-McDonnel Douglas merger in the US.
The military version of A310 will have main deck freight door (opening downwards), strengthened main-deck floor, passenger and\or cargo configurations and a self defence capability.
It will have sophisticated avionics to deflect radar signatures to avoid enemy aircraft.
A later version of the MRTT will include an airborne early warning aircraft like the US Awacs with a long range radar mounted to function like a flying command and control system.
The planes are being built by Airbus four partners Aerospatiale (France), British Aerospace (UK), CASA (Spain), Diamler-Benz Aerospace (Germany) all of whom have considerable expertise in the manufacture of military airplanes.
By coming in early in the Indian military transport aircraft market, Airbus is hoping to pip Boeing-McDonnel Douglas which has grabbed quite a bit of the world market for this type of planes with its Globemaster Aircraft.