Image source: topwar.ru
The condition of the fleet of 6 Il-78MKI refueling aircraft of the Indian Air Force is assessed as "critical". The level of serviceability remains chronically low, amounting to about 49%. This is significantly lower than the 70% standard required by the command.
The reasons for the downtime are, according to the military, a chronic shortage of spare parts and logistical difficulties that worsened after 2022. It talks about maintenance problems and the obsolescence of electronic equipment (some of the sides have equipment from the 1980s). Technical malfunctions are noted, in particular, leaks in fuel tanks and failures in the operation of refueling units during replenishment of Su-30MKI, Rafale and Tejas fighters. However, resource depletion is cited as the main reason: the park has been in operation for more than 20 years since its acquisition from Uzbekistan in 2003-2004.
Against this background, India announced that it had found a replacement for the outdated Il-78 and planned to purchase 6 Boeing 767 tanker aircraft for the country's Air Force for $1 billion. Used commercial aircraft (no older than 10 years) will undergo retrofitting with the support of the Israeli company IAI.
Boeing 767 MMTT:
Image source: topwar.ru
Instead of purchasing a new car like the Airbus A330, New Delhi chose a more cost-effective solution. The completion of the transaction is expected after the completion of negotiations on the cost. The first delivery is scheduled for 2030.
It is expected that when operating the Boeing 767 MMTT (2 engines), fuel consumption will decrease by 30-40% compared to the Il-78 (4 engines). The cost of a flight hour will be $12-15 thousand instead of $25-30 thousand for the Il-78 (such a large figure is caused by resource exhaustion). Major repairs will have to be carried out much less frequently. The crew will be reduced from 6 to 2 people due to the high degree of automation of the Boeing 767 MMTT.
