The Cabinet Committee on Security, on Wednesday, approved the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft from Spain for the Indian Air Force.
While 16 aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain within 48 months of the signing of the contract, 40 aircraft will be manufactured in India by Tata Consortium within ten years of the signing of the contract. All 56 aircraft will be installed with the indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite.
C-295MW aircraft is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonnes capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of IAF. The aircraft has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo.
A Defence Ministry release said this is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. The aircraft will be procured from Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain
The release said the project will give a boost to the aerospace ecosystem in India wherein several MSMEs spread over the country will be involved in manufacturing parts of the aircraft.
“The programme will provide a major boost to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ of the government as it offers a unique opportunity for the Indian private sector to enter into technology-intensive and highly competitive aviation Industry. The project will augment domestic aviation manufacturing resulting in reduced import dependence and expected increase in exports,” the release said. It added that a large number of detail parts, sub-assemblies and major component assemblies of aerostructure are scheduled to be manufactured in India.
