Tata-Airbus To Manufacture C295 Transport Aircraft For IAF In Gujarat

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space, will manufacture C295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in their new facility in Vadorara. This will be the first time that C295 aircraft will be manufactured outside Europe, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said.

The foundation laying ceremony for the new facility will take place on October 30, with prime minister Narendra Modi in attendance. The deal between TASL and Airbus, worth Rs 21,000 crore, was signed and approved by India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in September last year. The CCS is tasked with taking decisions on major appointments, matters of national security and defence expenditure.

As per the 2021 deal, the IAF would acquire 56 C295s to replace its ageing Avro HS748 fleet. Out of the 56 transport aircrafts, 16 would be procured in ‘fly-away’ condition within four years while the remaining 40 will be manufactured and assembled by in the new Vadorara faciltiy. This deal marks the first time that a private company will manufacture military aircraft in India.

European aerospace firm Airbus became the first foreign company to get approval from the India's Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) to produce defence aircraft in the country. The DGAQA, under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), is the final regulatory authority on the ministry’s procurement and development programmes.

The C295 has a 5-10 ton capacity with a rear ramp to quickly para-drop troops and cargo, according to an MoD statement. In addition to airdropping troops and cargo, the aircraft can also be utilised for evacuation and disaster response missions.