The first C-295 medium transport tactical aircraft for India has successfully completed its maiden flight, marking a significant milestone towards its delivery by the second half of 2023. The tactical aircraft took off from Seville, Spain, on May 5 and landed after three hours of flight. 

The IAF had inked a contract with Airbus Defence and Space last year to for 56 C-295 aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Avro fleet.  While 16 C-295s will be bought off the shelf from the manufacturer, the remaining aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by the Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October last year laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility in Vadodra, Gujarat. The development was seen as significant since this is the first time that a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private consortium. As regards the maiden flight, the Airbus said on Monday “This first flight represents a significant accomplishment for the first Make in India aerospace programme.

With the Indian Air Force set to become the largest operator of the C295 in the world, this programme exemplifies our commitment to improve the Indian Air Force (IAF) operational capabilities,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defence and Space.  The C295 Final Assembly Line being built in Gujarat is the first concrete, large-scale Make-in-India defence programme in the private sector that will unlock the industrial value chain of design, manufacturing, assembly, testing, delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.

 This programme will significantly contribute towards developing the indigenous capabilities of Indian companies for an ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’.  The global C295 programme comprises a total of 280 orders from 39 operators, making it an unmatched aircraft in its weight and mission class. 

In September last year, the defence ministry signed a Rs 21,935-crore contract with Airbus Defence and Space for 56 C295 planes to give a push to the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India campaign). Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus Defence and Space are jointly executing the programme.

As part of the contract, 16 C295 aircraft will be delivered by Airbus in flyaway condition from Spain, and the remaining 40 will be manufactured in India. The 16 flyaway aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between September 2023 and August 2025, while the first Made in India C295 will roll out of the new facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 by August 2031.

The C-295 can carry up to nine tonnes of payload or 71 personnel (or 45 paratroopers) and has a maximum speed of 480kmph. It can also operate from short or unprepared airstrips, has a rear ramp for paradropping troops and cargo, and will strengthen the logistics capabilities of IAF. Apart from the 56 planes already ordered, the C295 facility at Vadodara will be capable of meeting the additional requirements of the air force and catering to export orders.

All 56 aircraft will be fitted with an indigenous electronic warfare suite developed by Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited. After the completion of the delivery of 56 aircraft to the IAF, Airbus Defence and Space will be allowed to sell the aircraft manufactured in India to civilian operators and export to countries cleared by New Delhi, officials said.