Chief of Air Staff BS Dhanoa after inspecting the Ukrainian An-132 aircraft at Aero India 2019

After watching a demo flight of the AN-132 Light Transport Aircraft, Indian Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa expressed interest and personally oversaw the plane during the international exhibition Aero India 2019.


The light multi-purpose aircraft An-132 created in Ukraine has all the necessary advantages to become the main transport carrier for the Indian Air Force. The new aircraft can be manufactured together in India in order to eventually replace the Soviet An-32s, which have been in operation for more than three decades by the Armed Forces of the Republic of India. This is stated by the leadership of the State Enterprise "Antonov" and the company Spetstechnoexport, representing Ukrainian defence companies in the Republic of India.

The main advantage of the AN-132 is the high flying and manoeuvrability characteristics that are particularly important for India by operating in high-altitude areas. Due to the same preconditions, An-32 in due course gained enormous popularity among Indian militaries. The new AN-132 is very similar to AN-32, and therefore - well-known for potential operators. Thus, the An-132 has significantly improved specifications, up-to-date avionics systems and navigation equipment, all equipment meets modern international aircraft standards.

It should be noted that during the exhibition there was held a series of negotiations with companies that are ready to act as local partners of Ukrainian enterprises in the production of AN-132 for the needs of the Air Force of India.