The Indian Air Force (IAF), on 13 September, received the first C-295MW transport aircraft from Airbus. IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari formally received symbolic keys to the first aircraft at the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain. The 56 C-295 aircraft will replace the ageing Avro aircraft.
As per the contract, 16 aircraft will come in fly-away condition from Seville while 40 will be manufactured by Airbus jointly with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL). Work is underway to set up the Final Assembly Line (FAL) at Vadodara in Gujarat and the first aircraft manufactured in India would be delivered in September 2026.
In September 2021, the defence ministry signed a ?22,000 crore deal with Airbus and Space S.A., Spain for procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft to replace the Avro aircraft in service with the IAF. It was the largest order in the history of the C295. The first 16 C295s of the 56 aircraft on order will be assembled at the San Pablo Sur site in Seville, Spain, with the second aircraft due to be delivered in May 2024 and the next 14 rolled out at a rate of one per month until August 2025.
Indigenous Radar warning receiver and missile approach warning systems made by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and counter measure dispensing system made by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) have been certified and installed on the first aircraft.
Production of components for the aircraft to be made in India has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad and these parts will be shipped to Vadovara FAL, which is expected to be operational by November 2024. The 56th and final aircraft is expected to be delivered to the IAF by August 2031.
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The C-295, with a carrying capacity of 9 tonnes, can carry up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, airdrop cargo, be used for medical evacuation and take off and land on short and unpaved runways, according to Airbus.
Induction into Service
In a formal ceremony at the Hindon Air Force Station on September 25, the first C-295MW transport aircraft was inducted into service. With this, the IAF formally began phasing out its legacy HS-748 Avro transport aircraft from service. The first aircraft was inducted into the No. 11 Squadron, ‘The Rhinos’, based in Vadodara.
The C-295 aircraft will be equipped with indigenous electronic warfare systems and rear ramp doors for quick-reaction and para-dropping of troops and cargo. India will join a select group of countries with the capability to produce the C-295, including the US, UK, Russia, France, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Brazil, China, and Japan once it begins manufacturing these planes.
