IAF Maintenance Command draws up 5-year plan for 30 self-reliance projects
   Date :21-Jul-2023

IAF Maintenance Command draws 
 
 
Staff Reporter
In a major boost to ‘Aatma-Nirbharta’ (self-reliance) in the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Maintenance Command has drawn up a five-year plan for 30 projects involving an approximate cash outflow of Rs 10,500 crore. The main focus area of these projects will be relating to Russian aircraft, helicopters, air armament and testers, and early warning systems. During an informal interaction with mediapersons at the Headquarters Maintenance Command (HQMC) here on Thursday, the senior officers made a presentation about the role of HQMC in self-reliance. The Maintenance Command looks after sustenance of assets, indigenisation, and innovation. The sustenance of assets comprises various aspects including overhaul, repair, refurbishment and modification, calibration, and supply chain management. According to the officials, indigenisation in the IAF got impetus after the disintegration of the USSR. Since the days of the initial focus on low-tech and high consumption items, the HQMC has come a long way and has graduated to indigenisation of Line Replaceable Units, sub-systems, and complex items.
 
So far, the indigenisation efforts by HQMC have resulted in savings of Rs 800 crore through indigenisation of more than 60,000 lines of spares, said Air Vice Marshal V S Choudary, Senior Air and Administrative Staff Officer (SAASO), HQMC. One of the major projects taken up in recent times was repair and overhaul of MI17V5 helicopters. Now, moving forward,the HQMC has chalked out a five-year plan for self-reliance projects. According to Air Vice Marshal V S Choudary, under this plan, 30 projects have been conceived and are at various stages of processing. The projects entail ‘active involvement’ of Indian industry in respect of aircraft and systems overhauled by various Base Repair Depots (BRDs) under the HQMC. The projects are broadly divided into three categories namely life extension projects; repair and overhaul projects for aircraft, aero-engines, and rotables; and refurbishment/replacement for obsolete/obsolescent rotables and aggregates.
 
The said plan has defined focus area too in terms of the aircraft. The Russian fighter aircraft namely Su-30 and MiG-29, Russian transport aircraft namely AN-32, IL-76, IL-78, and Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS). Besides, the plan includes MI17 series helicopters including MI17, MI171V, and MI17V5. Air armament, testers, and early warning systems also are part of the plan. The plan may be set in motion soon. It involves cash outflow of Rs 10,500 crore to the Indian industry over a period of five years. As far as indigenisation and involvement of industry is concerned, part-tasking of repair and overhaul activities has been done in case of role equipment, ground-related equipment, rotables for which facility does not exist with the IAF, and maintenance-repair-overhaul processes of certain fleets.