The Indian Air Force is all set to acquire its first Airbus C-295 aircraft today. It will be the first of 56 aircraft India will get as a part of the deal. Among these, 16 units of the military aircraft will be manufactured in Spain while the rest will be made in India from the manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat. The new aircraft will play a major role in the forces as a tactical military transport aircraft. 

Air Marshal V R Chaudhari, the Air Force chief is in Seville, Spain to take the delivery of the first unit of C-295. The new tactical military aircraft will touch down in India on September 25, 2023, and is likely to be placed at the Hindon Air Base under the Western Air Command in Uttar Pradesh. Once the aircraft is commissioned, it will replace the Avro-748 planes in IAF’s fleet.

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The agreement for the manufacturing of C-295 aircraft between Tata and Airbus was inked in 2021 at an expense of Rs  21,935 crore, making it one of the most significant deals in Indian history. Earlier, Remi Maillard, Airbus India President and Managing Director predicted that the manufacturing of the aircraft in India would begin in 2026.

The importance of this project was highlighted by the inauguration of the C295 Final Assembly Line in Gujarat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This project has the potential to open up the entire industrial value chain, including maintenance, design, testing, production, and assembly, making a significant contribution to the growth of indigenous defense capabilities in India as part of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” objective.

The C-295, with a payload of 5 to 10 tonnes, is utilized for logistical missions to places that current bigger aircraft cannot reach as well as for tactical transport of up to 71 infantry or 50 paratroopers. Additionally, it has a track record of operating on short or inadequate airstrips.