CAG raps IAF for underutilisation of C-17 Globemaster planes

The government auditor has rapped the Indian Air Force for underutilisation of the operational capabilities of the ten C-17 Globemaster transport planes it had procured from the US for over Rs 18,645 crore.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India also slammed the US defence major Boeing for failure to set up simulator services, which were to be up and running by July 2013, besides ground facilities under their offset commitments.
Critical of both IAF and Boeing, the CAG, in a report submitted today in Parliament, said the operational capabilities of C-17 aircraft were underutilised partially due to non-availability of runway with appropriate pavement classification number (PCN) and lack of ground equipment at various bases.

While noting that IAF acquired C-17 aircraft for high load-carrying capacity with less loading/offloading time as well as to provide direct delivery of load/troops to the operating sector with least number of trips, it expressed surprise that not all units had the required material-handling equipment.
For the purpose of loading and unloading, a fork lifter weighing 13 tonnes was always being carried in the aircraft, as other units did not have ground-handling equipment.
"This fork lifter occupies 35 per cent of the cargo space leaving limited space for payload. Due to this space restriction, C-17 aircraft had to undertake more than one sortie on the same day to airlift cargo from same destination, on many occasions," the report said.

With cost of Rs 43.19 lakh per flying hour for C-17 aircraft, this was imprudent, the CAG noted.

The report said that the annual average load airlifted by C-17 ranged between 13 tonnes and 18 tonnes per sortie, against the aircraft's payload capacity of 70 tonnes.
The operating squadron stated (September 2015) that C-17 aircraft could carry only 35 tonnes of load (40 tonnes in winters) and on a few occasions, C-17 was tasked for only 26 tonnes.
"Thus a costly national asset, procured for carrying heavy loads was not being used as per its capacity. In reply (April 2016), Air HQ accepted the fact of underutilisation of the aircraft and intimated that the point had been brought up to the notice of appropriate authorities," the report said.

It also said the non-exploitation of capabilities of C-17 planes was due to inadequate runways.
The CAG report said also said utilisation of current VIP fleet was low and its low utilisation observed in CAG's Audit Report of 1998, was further reduced.
Significant flying efforts went in training of pilots although for Embraer aircraft and Mi-8 helicopter the training was lower than that prescribed in air force orders, the report said.
The controls designed to ensure that OEPs (other entitled persons, besides the three service chiefs) utilised the VIP fleet only in inescapable cases for routes connected by commercial air services were not working. Detention charges amounting to Rs 32.25 crore were not raised/levied, it said.