There are now not enough russian Il-78 aerial refueling tankers to supply India's air force. As a result, India plans to buy a new alternative from other sources at an estimated cost of $1 billion.
It is planned that six used Boeing 767 aircraft will be converted into refueling aircraft. Work on the project will be undertaken jointly by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
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The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in 2030-2031, which is explained by the complexity of the program. At the same time, technology transfer will enable India to independently produce refueling equipment.
Currently, most aerial refueling tankers are derived from existing production aircraft, frequently civilian ones. The European Airbus A330 MRTT is based on the A330-200, whereas the American KC-46A is derived from the Boeing 767.
Currently, the Indian Air Force operates six Il-78MKI aircraft, which were purchased over 20 years ago. The Il-78MK-90A, being manufactured in russia as a replacement, is also offered for export.
However, India does not appear to be interested in this, likely due to the issues it already faces with its existing aircraft. Another key factor is that sanctions hinder the supply of spare parts for russian aircraft, whereas Boeing 767s are common worldwide and their components are easily accessible.
India also states that it requires 12 aerial refueling tankers to meet the needs of its own aircraft fleet. Most likely, the russian aircraft will not be retired even after the new ones enter service.
However, this time, the funds will not go to the russian federation, as happens with many other cooperative projects. Perhaps it is because a set of unique technologies cannot be sold, as happened with the Su-57E.
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