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747-237

http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/eco/69900/

First batch of Indian Air Force An-32s upgraded in Ukraine leaves for India

30.05.2011

Ukraine has sent a first batch of An-32 light transport aircraft to India following their upgrading at facilities of the Ukrainian defense and industrial complex under an order from the Indian Air Force.

Ukrspecexport state-run company told Interfax-Ukraine that first five ungraded planes have left for Kanpur (North India) from India. It is expected that the planes will arrive to India in 5-6 days.

Equipment to develop aircraft repair facilities in India was also shipped along with the aircraft.

"The contract is being realized according to schedule. India highly appreciates the quality of the work done by Ukrainian companies and new flying characteristics of upgraded An-32 aircraft," the company told Interfax-Ukraine.

By late 2011 another ten An-32 aircraft will be delivered to the customer, the company said.

The acceptance document for the first batch was signed by India on May 18.

The contract, worth some $400 million, involves repairing and modernizing 103 An-32 aircraft of Indian Air Force. It was signed in July 2009 between the Indian Air Force and Spectechnoexport, which won a respective tender announced in December 2007. Ukraine's Antonov Plant and Civil Aviation Plant 410 are executing the contract.

According to the contract, 40 airplanes are to be modernized in Ukraine and the rest of aircraft at the BRD-1 aviation plant of the Indian Air Force in Kanpur (North India).

As a part of the upgrade, the Indian aircraft will be fitted with around 25 types of modern equipment made in Ukraine and other countries. The equipment increases flight safety.

The upgraded An-32 will be able to land according to the ICAO category II approach. Fuel consumption and the mass of the empty upgraded aircraft will be lower compared to the basic model.

In addition, in line with a three-year contract worth $110 million signed in December 2009 by OJSC Motor Sich (Zaporizhia) and the Indian Air Force, the AI-20 engines of the Indian An-32s are to be upgraded.
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Nimish · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:00 am Post subject:

Here's a picture of the AN32 at VOHK. Would love to see if they look physically different after the upgrade!
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HAWK21M · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:40 pm Post subject:

Looks like mainly Instrumentation upgrade.....Can anyone confirm the mods carried out.
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Think of the Brighter side !!!

747-237 · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:37 am Post subject:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/420519/iaf-awaits-039safe039-return-last.html

IAF awaits 'safe' return of last batch of AN-32 fleet

July 18, 2014

The Indian Air Force will have to wait for another agonising month before the last five of its AN-32 transport aircraft return from Ukraine’s capital Kiev, perhaps flying close to the same area where the Malaysian Airlines MH-17 was shot down.

“The last batch of five AN-32 aircraft is due for delivery in August,” said an IAF official, without disclosing the flight path these planes are supposed to take in their return journey.

The commonly used flight path between Ukraine and India pierces the area where rebels and Ukraine forces are engaged in conflict. A day after the MH-17 tragedy, the Ministry of Civil Aviation asked Air India and Jet Airways to stay away from the conflict zone.

In 2009, IAF signed a $400-million agreement with Ukraine to upgrade its entire fleet of 102 aircraft, which is used to ferry the bulk of India’s military troops and load.

A contract for total technical life extension, overhaul and re-equipment of AN-32 fleet has been concluded with SpetsTechnoExport, Ukraine, to overhaul and upgrade these planes, the then Defence Minister A K Antony said told Parliament in 2009.

As per the arrangement, 40 aircraft were to be refitted at Kiev while the remaining 62 would be done at the Base Repair Depot, Kanpur in collaboration with Ukraine. While 35 AN-32s have returned to India so far, the last batch of five is slated to return in August.

The overhaul programme includes extension of the AN-32’s life up to 40 years besides overhauling and re-equipping the aircraft with new systems.

vivekman · Member Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 1897 Location: BOM

Why can't these aircraft fly westwards from Kiev to another country/airspace and then take a more southerly route to India?
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Boeing makes planes. Airbus makes videogames!

The_Goat · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 6:54 pm Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 10:45 pm Post subject:

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/n20ZnbB3WcDoglNbJeH3vL/CAG-chides-IAF-for-grounding-of-AN32-transport-planes.html

CAG chides IAF for grounding of AN-32 transport planes

Despite being aware of long-term requirement , IAF failed to project the entire requirement which resulted in the extra avoidable expenditure

Jul 18 2014

The air force was on Friday chided by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for an “avoidable expenditure” of Rs.227 crore modernisation programme of its 105 Soviet-origin An-32 transport aircraft and the grounding of over 50% of the fleet due to delay in creating upgrade facilities.

In its report tabled in Lok Sabha, the CAG said Indian Air Force (IAF) procured 17 engines in 2007 and 100 engines in 2009 for the Antonv-32 transport fleet.

IAF had paid $719,500 (Rs.3.16 crore) per engine against the contract of June 2007, whereas, it had to pay $10,90,000 (Rs.5.43 crore) per engine against the contract of December 2009.

“Thus, IAF had to incur a total of Rs.227 crore extra on procurement of 100 aero-engines,” it said. The government auditor said, “Despite being aware of long-term requirement of aero-engines, IAF failed to project the entire requirement which resulted in the extra avoidable expenditure.”

An-32 is a medium tactical transport aircraft used primarily by the air force for transportation of the troops and cargo, para-trooping and casualty evacuation.

India had signed a contract with Ukraine for upgrading the fleet of 105 aircraft of which 40 were to be developed in Ukraine and the remaining were to be modernised in IAF facilities in Kanpur.

“Due to delay in initiation and conclusion of the contract, facilities for upgradation of an aircraft could not be set up in time despite an investment of Rs.272 crore on transfer of technology resulting in grounding of more than 50% of the transport aircraft fleet,” he said.

747-237 · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2014 7:07 am Post subject:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1141020/jsp/nation/story_18944730.jsp#.VERmiUnD-M8

Stand-off in Ukraine hits IAF fleet refit

Oct. 19

Five Indian Air Force planes have been grounded in Ukraine where they had been sent for a refit and upgrade.

The five Antonov 32 aircraft — the last batch of 40 from the IAF’s fleet of about a 100 — were to be delivered by Ukraine in August.

The AN32 aircraft is integral to the daily operations of the IAF, transporting troops, materiel and dropping rations and stores at high altitude posts as well as being deployed for search and rescue during natural disasters.

But Ukraine’s continuing troubles with Russia are now threatening to hit the Indian military hard. The IAF has taken the first blow.

The upgrade of the aircraft is stuck because Russia has refused to supply some of the components that are to be fitted in the aircraft.

Under a 2009 agreement between the Indian Air Force and Kiev-based SpetsTechnoExport, the Ukrainian firm was contracted to give the workhorse of the IAF’s transport fleet a “total technical life extension” that would keep the aircraft flying beyond 2025.

The upgraded aircraft, designated the AN32RE, were to be given a modified cockpit, newer avionics and noise and vibration reducing technologies. Forty of the aircraft were to be modernised in Ukraine and the remaining in India.

According to the original schedule, the upgrades in Ukraine were to be completed by March this year. Kiev requested and was permitted to alter the schedule to August. Now, Ukraine has missed that deadline as well.

The AN32s were procured by India in the 1980s. The upgrade programme, initially estimated to cost $400 million, involves a refit of major systems as well as strengthening the airframes.

In a written reply in Parliament in 2009, the then defence minister had said: “The project includes calendar life extension up to 40 years, overhaul and re-equipment of AN32 aircraft. There were no conditionalities at the time of acquisition of AN32 with the Russian government.”

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