India eyes leasing of French A330 MRTT

摘要

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is in advanced negotiations with the French government to lease one Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) for training purposes. The lease of this aircraft, which would be operated by the IAF but maintained by the French Air Force, is likely to be succeeded by the lease of five additional A330 MRTTs to augment the reach and combat capability of IAF fighters, official sources told Janes on 29 April. The French Air Force would also instruct IAF personnel in operating the tankers. Senior IAF officers said it was only "natural" for the service to opt for the A330 MRTT as tankers of the type operated by the French Air Force and United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence have already provided in-flight refuelling for 18 of the 36 Rafale multirole fighters ordered for the IAF while en route to India from their manufacturing facility in France. The 18 remaining Rafales, which were ordered in 2016 for EUR7.9 billion (USD9.5 billion), are also likely to be air-refuelled on their way to India in a similar manner, said IAF sources.