SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
In a significant milestone for India’s defense modernization and the ‘Make in India’ initiative, Airbus Defence and Space is set to deliver the 14th C-295 MW transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on June 22, 2025. This delivery, part of a ?21,935 crore ($2.8 billion) contract signed in September 2021 for 56 aircraft, marks steady progress in replacing the IAF’s aging Avro-748 fleet, which has been in service since the 1960s. The C-295, a versatile tactical airlifter, enhances the IAF’s logistical capabilities, particularly along sensitive northern borders and remote regions like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The C-295 MW, a 5-10 ton capacity transport aircraft, is designed to perform a wide range of missions, including tactical troop and cargo transport, paradropping, medical evacuation, disaster response, and maritime patrol. Equipped with a rear ramp door for quick reaction and airdropping, the aircraft can operate from short, unprepared airstrips as brief as 2,200 feet, making it ideal for India’s diverse terrain. All 56 aircraft are fitted with an indigenous electronic warfare suite, developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), featuring radar warning systems, missile warning sensors, and countermeasure dispensers.
The contract stipulates that Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its San Pablo Sur facility in Seville, Spain, by August 2025. The remaining 40 will be manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) at a Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, Gujarat, with the first Indian-made C-295 scheduled to roll out in September 2026. The 14th aircraft, delivered on June 22, 2025, is among the final Spanish-built units, with only two more due before the Vadodara FAL takes over. The entire fleet is expected to be delivered by August 2031.
The delivery of the 14th C-295 underscores the program’s adherence to its timeline, with Airbus maintaining a delivery rate of approximately one aircraft per month since the first handover in September 2023. The IAF’s No. 11 Squadron, “The Rhinos,” based in Vadodara, is the primary unit operating these aircraft, which are replacing the obsolete Avro-748s. The C-295’s induction has been hailed by defense analysts for enhancing the IAF’s medium-lift tactical capabilities, especially in high-altitude areas like Ladakh and the Northeast, where logistical support is critical amid tensions with China.
The Vadodara FAL, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on October 28, 2024, is India’s first private-sector military aircraft manufacturing facility. It represents a historic shift from the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)’s monopoly on military aircraft production. The facility, supported by a Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) plant in Hyderabad, produces over 13,000 of the C-295’s 14,000 detailed parts locally, with 33 MSMEs among the 37 Indian companies involved. The indigenous content is expected to rise from 48% for the initial 16 aircraft to 75% for the final 24 Indian-built units.
The program has created a robust aerospace ecosystem, generating 600 direct high-skilled jobs, over 3,000 indirect jobs, and 3,000 medium-skill opportunities, totaling 42.5 lakh man-hours of work. A full-mission flight simulator at the Airbus training center in Agra, operational since late 2024, has trained 150 IAF personnel, with six pilots and multiple maintenance crews already certified at Seville. This transfer of technology and skills positions India among a select group of nations with private-sector aircraft manufacturing capabilities.
NOTE : Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes. Websites doing illegal reproductions will get DMCA and Legal Notices.