NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force got delivery of its first C-295 transport aircraft on Wednesday, with Airbus officially handing it over in fly-away condition.
The C-295, in transport configuration and with an indigenous electronic warfare suite, will leave Airbus' production site in Seville, Spain, for Delhi in the next few days, piloted by a joint IAF-Airbus crew.
"It was only two years ago that we signed this contract with India, the largest order in the history of the C-295," said Jean-Brice Dumont, Airbus' Head of Military Air Systems, in a delivery ceremony held in Seville in the presence of India's Ambassador to Spain Dinesh K Patnaik and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari.
The first 16 C-295s of the 56 aircraft on order will be assembled at the San Pablo Sur site in Seville 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. These will be replacing the IAF's ageing Avros fleet.
To boost self-reliance in the defence-manufacturing sector in India, the remaining 40 C-295s of the IAF order will be manufactured and assembled - in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) - at a Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara.
The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad.
As per Airbus, the first 'Make in India' C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara FAL in September 2026 in what will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry. The final aircraft is expected to be delivered to the IAF by August 2031.
As reported earlier by The New Indian Express, the C-295MW aircraft has a 5-10 tonne capacity and possesses contemporary technology.
The aircraft has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para-dropping of troops and cargo. The short take-off/landing from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features.
It has a maximum speed of 480 kmph.
The aircraft will strengthen the logistic capabilities of the IAF. It can carry either 71 passengers or 44 fully equipped paratroopers or 24 stretchers.
More than 13400 detail parts, 4600 sub-assemblies and all seven major component assemblies, including nose fuselage, outer wings, centre wing box, centre fuselage, rear fuselage, doors and empennage will be manufactured at this facility.
Final assembly work like integration of systems and assembly of aero systems of the C-295MW will also be carried out at the facility.
IAF officials said the C-295 aircraft would be able to operate from Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) and even unprepared runways.
All 56 aircraft will be fitted with an indigenous electronic warfare suite to be developed by the state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.