The Indian Air Force’s first C295 medium transport aircraft conducted its maiden flight in Spain on Monday, before its induction into the IAF later this year, according to a statement from European firm Airbus Defence and Space. The three-hour first flight took place on May 5 in Seville. Officials acquainted with the situation said IAF crews are training at Airbus’ Seville site.
C-295 Aircraft Project
The defence ministry inked a 21,935-crore contract with Airbus Defence and Space in September 2021 for 56 C295 planes to support the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-Reliant India campaign). The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus Defence and Space.
Airbus will send 16 C295 aircraft in flyaway condition from Spain as part of the contract, while the rest 40 will be constructed in India. The 16 flyaway planes will be delivered between September 2023 and August 2025, while the first Made in India C295 will be delivered in September 2026 and the rest 39 by August 2031. The inaugural flight is yet another milestone in the C295 program, and the induction of these planes will greatly increase the IAF’s capabilities over the Avro-748 aircraft they are replacing, according to Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general of the Centre for Air Power Studies.
On October 30, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the groundwork for a manufacturing facility for the C295 aircraft being built by the Tata-Airbus collaboration in Vadodara, Gujarat. This is a noteworthy achievement because it is the first time a military aircraft would be constructed in India by a private consortium.
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