Strained Russia-Ukraine Relations Behind Delay In India's An-32 Upgrade: Report

The reason behind the delay in the upgrade of India's fleet of An-32 aircraft is the strained relationship between Russia and Ukraine, the two countries that supply components of the aircraft.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) recently admitted in the Parliament that one of the reasons for slow upgrade of An-32 fleet has been the procurement of spares which was hampered because of strained relations between Russia and Ukraine, IANS reported Saturday.

Several tenders have been floated recently for spares like pilot parachutes and harness for Su-30s to electric motors and fueling panels for An-32.

Apart from acquiring spare parts for the Antonov aircraft, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also invited bids from the vendors for spares which will go into the maintenance of ageing MiG-21s, newer Mirage-2000s, Su-30s, IL-76s and Mi-17 helicopters.