India's first C-295 aircraft formally inducted into IAF. Details here
Also read: Plans to buy 100 more indigenous LCA Tejas Mark 1A fighter jets, says Indian Air Force chief The C-295 aircraft is capable of carrying up to nine tonnes of payload or as many as 71 troops at a maximum cruise speed of 260 knots. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on September 13 received the first of the 56 C295 transport aircraft two years after India sealed a ₹21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the jets to replace its ageing Avro--748 fleets.
Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is procuring the C295 aircraft to replace its fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes that entered the service over six decades back. The aircraft can airdrop paratroops and loads, and also be used for casualty or medical evacuation.
The aircraft is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol duties. Rajnath Singh also inaugurated the Bharat Drone Shakti-2023 exhibition at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad here.
The mega drone show is being hosted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Drone Federation of India (DFI). Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 promises to spotlight the full potential of the Indian drone industry, with an impressive lineup of over 50 live aerial demonstrations."Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels
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