New Delhi: The government on Wednesday approved an agreement with Airbus Defense and Space of Spain to purchase 56 C-295MW transport aircraft, to replace the Indian Air Force aircraft that were inducted nearly 60 years ago.
Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Safety, the contract will bring Airbus Defense and Space and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to jointly execute the project for induction of new transport aircraft under the Make-in-India initiative in the aerospace sector .
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Under the arrangement, the new military transport aircraft will replace the old Avros of the Indian Air Force, according to a Press Information Bureau release. According to the Hindustan Times report, the deal is expected to be worth $ 2.5 billion.
Sixteen C-295MW will be delivered from Spain in flyaway condition within 48 months of the signing of the contract, while Tata will make 40 of them within 10 years.
“This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company,” it said. With a 5-10 tonne capacity, the C-295MW boasts of contemporary technology with a rear ramp door for quick response and para dropping of troops and cargo.
The program will act as a catalyst in job creation in the country’s aerospace ecosystem and is expected to directly create 600 highly skilled jobs.
Likely to be a replacement for the older aircraft, the Avro, a twin-engined turboprop, military transport and freighter of British origin. Inducted into the Indian Air Force in the early 1960s, the aircraft is capable of carrying 48 paratroopers or six tons of cargo, with a maximum cruise speed of 452 km/h.
“All 56 C-295MWs will be installed with indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite. The project will boost the aerospace ecosystem in India Warfare Suite,” the release said.
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