A - 400 M Atlas : Silver bullet for Indian military's logistical problems

Wars are won by logistics and India has a dire shortage of logistical aircraft/helicopters.

At present, India's best logistical aircraft is C-17. But we have only 11 and rest are in need of replacement being at the end of life stage.

On top of it, Boeing has stopped manufacturing more C-17s.

C-17



This brings us to the conclusion, what next to satisfy India Army, Navy and Air Force logistical needs for air transport.

C-17 capacity is 77 tons, while there is no other aircraft of similar capacity available today, There is A-400M with half the payload capacity but can carry diverse missions. e.g. Strategic/tactical lift due to its requirement of shorter runway length (1 km vs 2+ km).

This can significantly enhance the fighting power of the military by providing them fast and reliable transport to and from battlefield.

Present rotational time of 2+ years of battalions should be significantly reduced to 1+ years to reduce stress on soldiers. And their operational requirements can be met quickly in most of theaters they are deployed, whether at sea/deserts/mountains. Atlas can come in handy, whether it is Leh/Jaisalmer/Thanjavur/Tawang air base.

So what is stopping the renowned MoD from placing a 10 year order, so that they can be inducted in significant numbers over the next decade?

Its certainly not lack of cash or the need. Maybe age old laziness or shyness to talk to Airbus is stopping them to fly.

Check out the specs here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A400M_Atlas#Specifications 

A400M

A400M

A400M

A400M


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