C-295 military transport aircraft produced in Vadodara to replace IAF's aging Avro fleet

New Delhi: Tata Advanced Systems Ltd in partnership with Airbus Spain is set to manufacture C-295 military transport aircraft at the Vadodara facility as part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative to replace Indian Air Force’s (IAF) aging Avro fleet.

Aimed at modernising the aviation sector, the C-295 programme for India was formalised in September 2021 to acquire 56 Airbus C-295 aircraft.

As part of the $2.65 billion project, between Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Airbus Defence & Space of Spain,16 aircraft are to be delivered by Airbus Spain in flyaway condition, while 40 of these aircraft are to be manufactured in India by the Tata Advanced Systems Ltd facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Six C-295 aircraft have been delivered by Spain since 2023.

The Final Assembly Line Plant, jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish President Pedro Sanchez on Monday in Vadodara, Gujarat, will be the first private sector one for military aircraft in India.

It will entail the full development of a complete ecosystem from the manufacture to assembly, test, and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.

Apart from Tata’s involvement, public sector units such as Bharat Electronics Ltd. and Bharat Dynamics Ltd., as well as private micro, small, and medium enterprises, are also contributing to this programme.

The consortium will handle the manufacturing of 13,400 parts, around 4,600 sub-assemblies and seven major component assemblies of the C-295 transport aircraft, whereas Airbus will provide engines, landing gear, avionics, and electronic warfare (EW) suite.

The integration of various systems and engines, associated assessments, final flight tests and delivery of the aircraft will be handled by the Tata consortium.

Delivery of the Indian-manufactured aircraft will start in September 2026, with the final one being delivered by 2031.

More than 125 Indian micro, small and medium enterprise suppliers will also be involved in this project.

Once all 56 aircraft are delivered to the IAF, Airbus will be permitted to sell or export India-made aircraft to civil operators and to countries cleared by the Indian government.

Advancing both India’s military aviation, as well as navigation and tactical airdrop abilities, a future variant of these aircraft will also be made for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara on October 30, 2022.

A timely necessity, the C-295 is utilised for speedy transportation, tactical manoeuvring, and logistics operations to locations not accessible by heavy aircraft.

A medium sized aircraft, it can carry up to 71 soldiers, 24 stretchers along with up to seven medical attendants, five standard 108" pallets of cargo.

It can also be configured to assist in multi-role operations, all the way from acting as a support gunship to carrying out ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) operations, medical evacuation, signals interception, rapid disaster response and maritime patrolling.

These abilities will boost military operations in particularly difficult areas, such as the patrolling and reconnaissance along with airdrops along the India-China border as well as ease of navigating areas such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.