Airbus Defense and Space has rolled out the first unit of India’s C-295 aircraft from its paint shop to production facility in the city of Seville, located in southern Spain. Airbus has shared photos and videos of military aircraft leaving Airbus Defense & Space’s San Pablo site, which is home to military transport activities and the final assembly line (FAL) for the four-engine turboprop-powered A400M airlifter and twin- . Turboprop C295. The aircraft will be inducted into the Indian Air Force and will receive their traditional gray colour.
The aircraft is the first of 16 medium-lift tactical transport aircraft that will be delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in flyaway condition. The induction of the aircraft to replace the aging Avro aircraft of the Indian Air Force is being seen as another step towards modernization of the country’s air force. While 16 aircraft will be made by Airbus in Spain, 40 will be made in India for the first time by the Tata group.
First #C295 just out of paint shop for india
Learn more about the C295’s painting process #behind the scenes #India pic.twitter.com/cDNBCu3Rvo
— Airbus Defense (@AirbusDefence) April 18, 2023
In September 2021, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the purchase of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft from Airbus Defence. Of the 56 units, 16 will be built at Airbus’ Spain facility. Of these, 40 will be built by Tata Advanced Systems, which collaborated with Airbus to manufacture and assemble the C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
Under the agreement, Tata Advanced Systems was selected by Airbus as the Indian Production Agency (IPA). It will not only produce 40 fly-away C-295 aircraft from its facilities but will also provide MRO support and service for a total of 56 aircraft to be subsequently procured by the IAF.
In October 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a transport aircraft manufacturing project in Gujarat’s Vadodara, giving a major boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative and domestic aviation manufacturing. The first 16 fly-away aircraft are due to be received between September 2023 and August 2025, while the first ‘Made in India’ aircraft is expected from September 2026.
The C-295MW, a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology, is expected to strengthen the IAF’s logistics capabilities. It has a rear ramp door for quick response and para-drop of troops and cargo. Short take-off/land from semi-prepared surfaces is one of its other features. The aircraft can also be used for civilian purposes.
More than 13,400 detail parts, 4,600 sub-assemblies and all seven major component assemblies will be manufactured in India with tools, jigs and testers. Also, 96 per cent of the total man-hours of work per aircraft planned at Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Spain will be done by the Tata consortium in India.
Various systems such as engines, landing gear, avionics, EW suite will be provided by Airbus Defense and Space and integrated into the aircraft by the Tata consortium. All 56 aircraft will also be fitted with indigenous electronic warfare suites from Indian DPSUs – Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
After the completion of the delivery of 56 aircraft to the IAF, Airbus will be allowed to sell the aircraft manufactured in India to civil operators and export them to countries that have been approved by the Indian government.