New Delhi: India’s air power is going to increase further. The first C-295 military aircraft from Spain is going to land in India soon. Airbus Company in Seville, Spain has handed over the first C-295 transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force. In September last year, India had signed a deal with Airbus Defense and Space for 56 C-295 aircraft, which will replace the Avro-748 aircraft.
The special thing is that India will get 16 C-295 aircraft from Spain. Whereas, the remaining 40 aircraft will be produced in Vadodara, Gujarat. There are possibilities that the plane may land on September 25 at Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. India had done this deal for Rs 21 thousand crores. Under the agreement, 16 aircraft are to be delivered in 4 years.
Officials have informed that India will get the second C-295 aircraft by May 2024. At the same time, all 16 aircraft will be delivered to the Indian Air Force by August 2025. Here, the first indigenous aircraft, which is going to be manufactured in India, will be delivered by September 2026 and the other 39 aircraft are expected to be delivered by August 2031.
PM Modi had laid the foundation stone of the construction plant on October 30 last year. Here Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Airbus Defense and Space S.A will manufacture C-295 aircraft. According to the Defense Ministry, ‘This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. The total cost of this project is Rs 21,935 crore. This aircraft can also be used for civil purposes.
characteristics of aircraft
The Defense Ministry had said that this transport aircraft with a capacity of 5-10 tonnes can perform different missions in many situations. It has the feature of flying for 11 hours as well as taking off and landing at low altitude. The special thing is that it can regularly conduct day as well as night combat operations in desert to maritime environments.
The C-295 is capable of carrying 9 payloads or 71 soldiers or 45 paratroopers. Also, it can carry out missions at a maximum speed of 480 km per hour.
The government had informed that all 56 aircraft will be equipped with indigenous electronic warfare suites developed by Indian DPSUs – Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited. After the completion of the delivery of 56 aircraft to the Indian Air Force, Airbus Defense and Space will be allowed to sell the aircraft manufactured in India to civil operators and export them to countries approved by the Government of India.
#WATCH | First C-295 transport aircraft to be received by Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in Seville, Spain today from Airbus pic.twitter.com/ypCY29dWFu
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2023
#WATCH | "…The delivery of the first aircraft has been ahead of schedule by 10 days," says IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari after he receives symbolic keys of C295 aircraft from Airbus in Spain. pic.twitter.com/JZFUxWSzNo
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2023
#WATCH | IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on receiving delivery of the first C-295 transport aircraft from Airbus in Spain
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2023
"It is a major milestone not only for IAF but for the whole country. This is for two reasons – first, for IAF it improves our tactical airlift… pic.twitter.com/RDCUDjAkgI
