A technical assessment of offers submitted by three foreign vendors for the procurement of 80 military transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been finalised.Known as the Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme, the project aims to replace the IAF’s 30-year-old fleet of Soviet-origin AN-32 aircraft. One such aircraft crashed last month, killing all five personnel on board.The Ministry of Defence is now preparing to issue a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to foreign vendors for manufacturing the aircraft in India, sources said. The RFP will seek commercial bids and details of the transfer of technology being offered. It will be followed by field trials, cost negotiations and, eventually, contract signing.Three foreign manufacturers are in contention. Airbus has offered its A400M aircraft. The company is already producing the C-295 transport aircraft in India in partnership with Tata. US-based Lockheed Martin, which supplied the C-130J transport aircraft to the IAF, is also in the race and operates a manufacturing facility in partnership with Tata. Brazil’s Embraer has proposed the C-390 Millennium and has teamed up with Mahindra Defence Systems.The MTA’s technical requirements are shaped by operational gaps identified after the 2020 high-altitude deployments along the border and the need for rapid movement of personnel and equipment. India is seeking a versatile, all-weather tactical airlifter that bridges the gap between lighter transport aircraft such as the C-295, which can carry a payload of around 9-12 tonnes, and heavy-lift aircraft such as the C-17, which can carry up to 70 tonnes.The IAF requires the MTA to carry payloads ranging from 18 to 30 tonnes. The cargo bay must be capable of accommodating light armoured vehicles, including the indigenous 25-tonne Zorawar light tank, artillery systems such as the M777 ultra-light howitzer, BrahMos missile canisters and Akash air-defence launcher units.The aircraft is also expected to support logistics operations along the northern and eastern borders, including Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. A critical requirement is the ability to land and takeoff from short, unprepared airstrips.The IAF is also seeking an aircraft capable of low-altitude operations, equipped with advanced night-navigation systems for the covert insertion and extraction of troops.Under the proposed procurement framework, 12 aircraft will be imported in flyaway condition, while the remaining 68 will be manufactured and assembled in India through a joint venture between the selected foreign vendor and an Indian partner.The indigenous content is expected to progressively exceed 50 per cent and cover structural components, wiring harnesses, sheet-metal assemblies, avionics racks and software integration.India is also seeking an open-architecture platform that would allow the integration of indigenous software, tactical data links and mission computers without requiring the manufacturer’s approval for future upgrades.The selected vendor will be required to establish a comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub in India, including engine-overhaul facilities, to support the fleet throughout its service life.