Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Why India’s Four-Decade-Old Il-76 Still Matters
The Il-76 is a large transport aircraft that India has used since 1985.
It can carry soldiers, vehicles and heavy equipment over long distances.
India now has newer aircraft, such as the C-17, but it still needs enough planes for many missions at the same time.
Il-76s can help with military operations, disaster relief and evacuations.
They were used after the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
The aircraft are old, so keeping them working is difficult.
India is trying to make more spare parts and perform repairs domestically.
The Il-76 family also includes India’s Il-78 aerial-refuelling aircraft.
Replacing the aircraft will likely happen gradually as newer transport capacity becomes available.
The Indian Air Force inducted its first Il-76 aircraft in June 1985.
Il-76 aircraft remain part of India’s strategic airlift fleet alongside newer C-17s and C-130Js.
The aircraft can carry personnel, heavy equipment and oversized loads over long distances.
Il-76s have supported military deployments, disaster relief, evacuations and humanitarian missions.
India is developing domestic repair and spare-part capabilities to sustain aging Russian-origin aircraft.
- Who
- The Indian Air Force and Indian defence manufacturers are involved; the aircraft were also seen in connection with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit.
- What
- India continues operating the Il-76 as part of its strategic airlift capability despite having newer C-17 and C-130J aircraft.
- When
- The IAF inducted the Il-76 in June 1985; the aircraft remains in service more than 40 years later.
- Where
- The Il-76 has operated across India and on missions including Nepal, Mongolia and other long-distance destinations.
- Why
- It provides heavy-lift capacity for military deployments, logistics, evacuation, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance while replacement capacity is built.
- Indian induction
- The first Il-76 aircraft was brought to India in early 1985 and formally inducted in June 1985.
- First dedicated unit
- No. 44 Squadron became the IAF’s first dedicated Il-76 unit.
- Heavy-lift role
- A Ministry of Defence account said the aircraft could carry a T-72 tank along with multiple heavy vehicles and other equipment.
- Recent missions
- Il-76 aircraft supported Operation Maitri after the 2015 Nepal earthquake and flew sacred relics from Delhi to Mongolia in May.
- Sustainment challenge
- The Ministry of Defence described the Il-76 as a legacy fleet whose maintenance posed enormous challenges.
- Spare-part indigenisation
- The IAF identified 223 spare lines for manufacturing, repair or overhaul in India, including 76 lines proposed through a joint venture.
- Broader fleet effort
- The IAF said around 76,000 spare lines had been indigenised over the previous decade, including 1,482 during production year 2024-25.