Happy for C-295, Spain would like to be trusted bilateral partner for India, says envoy
India from Spain and asserted that Madrid would like to be a «very trusted bilateral partner» for New Delhi. The aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force in a ceremony at the Hindan Air Force Station on Monday.
Ridao attended the ceremony, which took place in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and senior officials of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and those from Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems (TASL).
The medium tactical transport aircraft arrived in Vadodara on September 20, days after it was handed over to the IAF in the southern Spanish city of Seville, where Airbus has a facility.
«The first plane (C-295) coming from Spain in this programme, and we are very happy, and at the same time, we are very engaged with this programme… we think that it is a great opportunity to become an important partner for India in this particular area, which is defence industry.
So it is a great day, a great day for Tata, for Airbus, Spain, and also for India,» the Spanish envoy told PTI.
Sixteen aircraft will arrive in India from Spain. During this time, TASL will prepare its production and assembly for the rest of the planes here.
Forty planes will be made in India under the programme, he said.
Spain and the Spanish government are very engaged with this programme because it is also «an opportunity to share technology with our partners». For Spain, it is a «great honour» to be a partner of India in this particular field, Ridao said.
Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 planes will be manufactured and assembled by TASL in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
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