Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:24pm on 12 Aug 2026,Wednesday Defence
The Ministry of Defence has issued a Rs 1-lakh-crore tender for 60 Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) to replace the Indian Air Force’s ageing Soviet-origin AN-32 fleet. HAL, Tata and Mahindra will partner foreign manufacturers, with technology transfer required. Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Embraer are competing with the A400M, C-130J and C-390 Millennium respectively. The aircraft must carry 18-30 tonnes, operate from short, unprepared runways and support high-altitude logistics along Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. They should transport equipment including the 25-tonne Zorawar tank and M777 howitzers. Twelve aircraft will be imported, while 48 will be manufactured in India. Local content is expected to exceed 50%, alongside domestic MRO facilities and open architecture for future upgrades. (PC: The Tribune)
