New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence has issued a Request for Information for long-range business jets to replace the Indian Air Force’s VIP transport fleet, aircraft that have been flying senior defence officials and service chiefs for close to two decades without a replacement in sight.
The RFI has gone out to both Indian and global aerospace manufacturers. It asks for detailed inputs on long range jets and the support infrastructure that comes with them. Key parameters include range, airfield performance, and onboard systems. Vendors have also been told what compliance requirements apply and how submissions should be formatted under the defence procurement framework.
The fleet being replaced is not new to public attention. The four Embraer Legacy 600 jets (Meghdoot, Vayudoot, Nabhdoot, and Gagandoot) were inducted on September 21, 2005. Three came in together, with the fourth following shortly after. They have been in near continuous use since, operated by the Air Headquarters Communication Squadron for VIP movement and secure communication roles.
On paper, the Legacy 600 still performs. It needs around 1,800 metres to take off and 1,400 metres to land, which keeps a wide range of Indian and overseas airfields accessible. Cruise speed sits at roughly 0.78 Mach. The jets also carry self protection suites built to counter missile threats, not standard equipment on civilian business aircraft.
But age catches up. The MoD’s move to at least map the replacement market is being read as the first formal step in what will likely be a phased acquisition. No timelines have been announced.
The RFI comes at a moment when aviation safety has been under sharper scrutiny than usual. On January 28, a VSR Ventures operated aircraft crashed, killing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. The incident renewed questions about fleet age and airworthiness standards across both civil and defence aviation in India.
Whether the MoD moves quickly from RFI to RFP remains to be seen. For now, the exercise is about understanding what the market offers before committing to anything.