Derailed by Russia's Crimea invasion, IAF's AN-32 upgrade resumes

The upgrade programme was halted in 2014, when Antonov had refurbished only 45 of the IAF's 105 AN-32s

Demonstrating the versatility of its most rugged and reliable workhorse, an Indian Air Force (IAF) Antonov-32 (AN-32) transport aircraft made a first-ever landing at the challenging 1,650-metre-long Pakyong airfield near Gangtok, in Sikkim, on Wednesday.

With Pakyong now usable by AN-32s, the Army can quickly move soldiers, weapons and supplies to this highly sensitive sector, which includes flashpoints like Doklam, Nathu La and the Siliguri Corridor that connects the eight north-eastern states with the rest of India.

Business Standard has learnt there is even better news for the IAF’s ageing fleet of 105 AN-32 transporters, which were bought from the Soviet Union