In a major boost for the Indian Air Force, the central government has cleared two mega projects including the six new made-in-India airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) and 56 C-295 aircraft, forty of which are to be built in India by Airbus with Tata.

The six AEW&C aircraft have been cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security and they would be built on the Airbus 319 aircraft to be provided by the state-owned Air India, government sources told.

The government had earlier in the day announced the clearance of the Avro replacement project to be built under the Make in India scheme. Sources said that the six aircraft to be built by the DRDO will further improve Air Force’s surveillance capabilities along borders with China and Pakistan.

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Sixteen aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain within 48 months of the signing of the contract and forty aircraft will be manufactured in India by TATA Consortium within ten years of the signing of the contract. This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. All fifty-six aircraft will be installed with the indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite. The project will give a boost to the aerospace ecosystem in India wherein several MSMEs spread over the country will be involved in the manufacturing of parts of the aircraft.

The program will provide a major boost to the `Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ of the Government as it offers a unique opportunity for the Indian Private Sector to enter into technology-intensive and highly competitive aviation Industry. The project will augment domestic aviation manufacturing resulting in reduced import dependence and an expected increase in exports.

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A large number of detail parts, sub-assemblies, and major component assemblies of aerostructure are scheduled to be manufactured in India. The program will act as a catalyst in employment generation in the aerospace ecosystem of the country and is expected to generate 600 highly skilled jobs directly, over 3000 indirect jobs, and an additional 3000 medium skill employment opportunities with more than 42.5 lakh man-hours of work within the aerospace and defense sector of India. It will involve the development of specialized infrastructure in form of hangars, buildings, aprons and taxiways. During the process of manufacturing in India, it is expected that all the suppliers of TATA Consortium who will be involved in special processes will gain and maintain globally recognized National Aerospace and Defence Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) accreditation.

Before completion of deliveries, ‘D’ Level servicing facility (MRO) for C-295MW aircraft are scheduled to be set up in India. It is expected that this facility will act as a regional MRO hub for various variants of C-295 aircraft. In addition, the OEM will also discharge its offset obligations through direct purchase of eligible products and Services from Indian Offset Partners giving a further boost to the economy. This program is a unique initiative of the Government of India to strengthen indigenous capabilities and boost ‘Make in India’.

AEW&C Block 2 aircraft are to be developed by the DRDO under Rs 11,000 crore project. The six aircraft would be modified to fly with a radar that will give 360-degree surveillance capability to the defence forces. The project to build the AEW&C system on existing aircraft from the Air India fleet may also mean that India may not buy the six Airbus 330 transport aircraft planned to be acquired earlier from the European firm.

The C-295 aircraft deal was required to be signed as the IAF has 56 Avro transport aircraft which are in urgent need of replacement. Sixteen aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain within 48 months of the signing of the contract.

The aircraft would be giving a capability of carrying five to 10 tonnes of load and would bridge the gap between An-32s and the C-130Js.

Key Highlights:

• 16 aircraft to be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain; 40 to be manufactured in India
• Unique initiative to strengthen indigenous capabilities & boost ‘Make in India’
• All aircraft to be installed with indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite
• To replace the ageing Avro aircraft of IAF
• Transport aircraft of 5-10 Tonne capacity with contemporary technology

Cabinet approves procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for Indian Air Force. 16 aircraft to be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain; 40 to be manufactured in India pic.twitter.com/Ul3SFLKxoj

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