The recently inducted C295 will make its debut at the Air Force Day fly past on Oct 8 to be conducted over the ‘Sangam’ -the confluence of Ganges and Yamuna.
At the annual presser Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari said on Tuesday “We have recently witnessed the induction of the first C-295 aircraft. The project is an important milestone in boosting our defence industry and will contribute immensely.”
According to the air chief this project is an important milestone in boosting the country’s defence industry and will contribute hugely by creating 42.5 lakh man-hours of work involving over 6000 direct and indirect jobs and skill employment opportunities.
And, “Around 125 MSMEs, spread over seven states, will be involved in the manufacturing of over 13,400 parts, 4600 sub-assemblies and all the seven major component assemblies.”
This new military transport aircraft joined the 11 Squadron last month, and it’s here to replace the old Avros-748 planes used by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The first tranche of 16 C295s will be made in Seville, Spain, with the second one expected to arrive in May 2024. The remaining 14 aircraft will come one per month until August 2025.
To boost India’s defence manufacturing, the other 40 C295s from the IAF order will be made and assembled in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL). They’re setting up a Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, Western India. Right now, they’re already making aircraft parts in Hyderabad, South India, and these parts will be sent to the Vadodara FAL. It should start working by November 2024.
The very first ‘Make in India’ C295 is expected to be ready in Vadodara’s FAL by September 2026, which is a big deal for India’s aerospace industry. The last plane should be handed over to the IAF by August 2031.
The C295 is quite special because 41 operators have ordered 283 of them. It’s really versatile – it can carry up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, do cargo airdrops, help with medical evacuations, and take off and land on short and rough runways. It’s a strong and adaptable aircraft.