UPSC Prelims 2025 Q84: Dornier-228, IL-76 and C-17 — Explained
With reference to India's defence, consider the following pairs:
(Aircraft type : Description)
I. Dornier-228 : Maritime patrol aircraft
II. IL-76 : Supersonic combat aircraft
III. C-17 Globemaster III : Military transport aircraft
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one
- Only two
- All the three
- None
Answer: (b) Only two
Statement-wise explanation
- I: correct — The Dornier-228 is a light twin-turboprop aircraft with 19 seats. HAL has built it in Kanpur since 1983 under licence from Germany. The Indian Navy flies it from several Dornier squadrons, such as INAS 313 'Sea Eagle' at Chennai (commissioned 22 July 2019) and INAS 314 'Raptors' at Porbandar (29 November 2019), and the Coast Guard uses it for maritime surveillance. Short-range maritime patrol and reconnaissance is its main military role.
- II: incorrect — The Ilyushin IL-76 is a four-engine, subsonic, heavy-lift transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is not a combat aircraft. The IAF formally inducted it on 16 June 1985 with No. 44 Squadron 'Mighty Jets' and named it 'Gajraj'. Its jobs are strategic airlift of troops, tanks and relief cargo. The IL-76 airframe is also the base for the IL-78 refueller and the Phalcon AWACS, but none of these is supersonic.
- III: correct — The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a strategic military transport aircraft. India bought 10 from the US through the Foreign Military Sales route. The first one arrived on 18 June 2013, and the type was formally inducted at Hindan airbase in September 2013. PIB gives its payload as about 75 tonnes and its reach as about 4,500 km. It is the IAF's main heavy-lift aircraft for operations, evacuations and disaster relief.
How to eliminate
Pair III is the easiest. 'Globemaster' tells you the aircraft carries loads around the globe, so it is a transport, and you can mark it correct. That leaves only two possible answers: two pairs correct or all three correct. Pair II is the trap. 'Supersonic combat aircraft' is a claim about speed and role, and in India that description fits fighters like the Rafale, Su-30MKI, MiG-29 and Tejas. Those are almost all Western, Russian or Indian fighter names, not 'IL' (Ilyushin) types. Ilyushin is known for big airliners and transports. If you remember that the IAF's IL-76 'Gajraj' flies relief and evacuation missions, Pair II is out. Pair I needs one fact: the Dornier-228 is a small, slow turboprop that the Navy and Coast Guard use for maritime patrol. Fact to remember: IL-76 and C-17 are both strategic airlifters, and neither is a fighter.
Know more
India's military aircraft by role
UPSC often asks you to match an aircraft to its role. Most military aircraft fit one of five groups: combat (fighters, mostly supersonic), transport/airlift, maritime patrol, airborne early warning (AEW&C/AWACS) and air-to-air refuelling.
| Aircraft | Origin | Role | Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-17 Globemaster III | USA (Boeing) | Strategic heavy-lift transport | IAF |
| IL-76MD 'Gajraj' | Soviet Union (Ilyushin) | Strategic heavy-lift transport | IAF |
| C-130J Super Hercules | USA (Lockheed Martin) | Tactical transport, special operations | IAF |
| C-295 | Airbus (Spain), being made in India with Tata | Medium tactical transport, replacing the Avro | IAF |
| Dornier-228 | Germany, licence-built by HAL | Maritime patrol, light transport | Navy, Coast Guard, IAF |
| P-8I Poseidon | USA (Boeing) | Long-range maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare | Navy |
| IL-78 | Soviet Union/Russia | Air-to-air refuelling | IAF |
| Netra (on Embraer jet) | DRDO, India | AEW&C | IAF |
| Rafale, Su-30MKI, Tejas | France / Russia–HAL / HAL | Combat (supersonic) | IAF |
Strategic vs tactical airlift. Strategic airlifters such as the C-17 and IL-76 carry heavy loads over long distances, between theatres or to other countries. Tactical airlifters such as the C-130J and C-295 work inside a theatre and can use short or rough airstrips.
Maritime patrol. Aircraft like the Dornier-228 (short range) and P-8I (long range) watch the seas, track ships and submarines, and support search and rescue. India gave a Dornier-228 to Sri Lanka, and Dorniers have also gone to Mauritius and Seychelles. This is part of the SAGAR outreach in the Indian Ocean.
One airframe, many roles. The IL-76 airframe is used for the IL-78 tanker and the Phalcon AWACS. So a 'family' name does not tell you the role of a particular version.