CHIEF of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari on Wednesday received the first of the 56 C-295 transport aircraft two years after India sealed a Rs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the jets to replace its ageing Avro--748 fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari, receiving the aircraft at the aerospace major’s production facility in the southern Spanish city of Seville, described it as a “momentous day” for the IAF and India as 40 C-295 out of the total fleet will be manufactured inVadodara.

 

“It is a momentousdayforus,forthe Indian Air Force in particular, and a nation as a whole to receive the first aircraft which marks the beginning of a new era, wherein we will bemanufacturing40ofthese aircraft in India,” he said. Underthedeal,Airbuswill 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 byTata Advanced Systems (TASL)in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. “It gives a tremendous boost to the capability of moving our forces to the frontline when required,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said.

 

The Chief of Air Staff also took a sortie on the new aircraft. The C295, in transport configuration and with an indigenousel ectronic warfare suite, willleave Airbus’ production site in Seville for Delhi on September15.It will be piloted by a jointIAF-Airbus crew. “While the first aircraft was rolled out from Spain, the 17th aircraft will be assembled at the final assembly line in Barodain 2026. It will mark a historic momentas the first time a military transport aircraft will be fully manufactured in India,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari told PTI. The first ‘Make in India’ C295 will roll out of the Vadodara final assembly line in September 2026 in what will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry. The final aircraft is expected to be delivered to the IAF by August 2031.