Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a facility in Vadodara for the production of C-295 aircraft by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attended the event in Gujarat, where both leaders inaugurated the Final Assembly Line (FAL) plant in October 2022. C295 Aircraft game changer?
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the facility will become India’s inaugural private sector final assembly line for military aircraft. Here is the information on the C295 and why it is important for the Indian military.
Where will be C295 produced and by whom?
The C295 was initially manufactured by a Spanish company called Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA. This corporation is currently owned by Airbus and the aircrafts are produced at Airbus’s facility in Spain.
In September 2021, India agreed to a Rs 21,935 crore contract with Airbus Defence and Space for 56 C295 aircraft to substitute the IAF’s outdated Avro-748 planes, which were in operation since the early 1960s.
According to the deal, Airbus will supply the initial 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ status from its Seville, Spain assembly line in four years. The next 40 planes will be produced by TASL in India through a business collaboration between the two firms.
The 16 aircraft will be flown to their delivery destinations between September 2023 and August 2025. On September 13, 2023, Spain delivered the initial aircraft out of the 56 to the IAF. The initial Indian-made plane is scheduled to be completed in September 2026, with the rest of the 39 aircraft to be manufactured by August 2031.
Once the delivery is finished, Airbus Defence and Space can sell the planes made in India to commercial companies and ship them to approved countries by the Indian government.
Detailed Overview: Technical Specs of the C295 Aircraft
The C295 Aircraft is a plane that can carry between 5 to 10 tonnes and fly at a top speed of 480 kmph. It is equipped with a rear ramp door for fast deployment and air dropping of personnel and supplies. Other characteristics include short take-off and landing on partially prepared surfaces.
According to the technical specifications from Airbus, the plane’s cabin measures 12.7 meters or 41 feet and eight inches. The company asserts that this aircraft has the lengthiest cabin in its category without any obstacles and can seat a total of 71 passengers. Additionally, the company asserts that the C295 Aircraft has the ability to transport a greater amount of cargo compared to rival aircrafts by allowing for direct unloading via the rear ramp.
Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited will develop an indigenous electronic warfare suite for installation on all 56 aircraft. Ajay Kumar, the ex-Defense Secretary, stated that the plane will involve the most indigenous content ever in India, with 96% of Airbus’s work in Spain for the aircraft being conducted at the Vadodara manufacturing facility.
Global Terrain Performance: How the C295 Excels in Diverse Environments
According to Airbus, the C295 is used in the rainforests of Brazil and the mountains of Colombia in South America, the deserts of Algeria and Jordan in the Middle East, and the cold regions of Poland and Finland in Europe. The plane has also been used in military missions in Chad, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The Multi-Role Capabilities of the C295: From Transport to Surveillance
In its role as a tactical transport aircraft, the C295 is able to transport soldiers and required supplies between primary airfields and country’s forward operating airfields. It has the ability to use short unprepared airstrips due to its Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) capabilities. Airbus mentions that the aircraft is capable of flying at low speeds of 110 knots and can handle tactical missions by flying at low altitudes, utilizing airstrips only 2,200 feet in length.
The plane can also be utilized for medical evacuation, special missions, disaster response, and maritime patrol assignments.
Leave a Reply