C-295 aircraft to be inducted into Air Force today, will boost tactical airlift

Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.

The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad.

These parts will be shipped to the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, which is expected to be operational by November 2024.

In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility for 295 planes in Vadodara. It will be the first military aircraft to be manufactured in India by a private consortium.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is procuring the C-295 aircraft to replace its fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes that entered service over six decades back.

The C-295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft.

The aircraft can airdrop paratroops and loads, and also be used for casualty or medical evacuation. It is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol duties.