A400M vs C-130J vs C-390: India's hunt for a new military transport aircraft enters next stage

The Ministry of Defence has moved a step closer to finalising the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft ( MTA ) programme, completing technical evaluations of proposals submitted by three foreign vendors. The exercise comes against the backdrop of an AN-32 crash that claimed five lives, a stark reminder of the urgency to replace the ageing Soviet-origin fleet. The programme is designed to bridge a critical capability gap in India’s tactical airlift spectrum, with procurement structured to combine imports and indigenous manufacturing.