India's First Military Aircraft To Be Built By Private Firm: 10 Facts

The Airbus C295 is a new-generation tactical airlifter in the light and medium segment.

It is robust and reliable but also highly versatile in terms of the number of different missions it can perform.

The C295 conducts multi-role operations worldwide under all weather conditions.

It is fully certified and routinely operates day and night in combat missions in all weather extremes, from desert to maritime environments, from extremely hot to extremely cold temperatures, Airbus says on its website.

With the new C295W version equipped with winglets, the aircraft is capable of transporting more payload over larger distances in the hot and high conditions, resulting in fuel consumption savings of around 4 per cent and increased safety margins in mountainous regions.

"Today's armed forces have increasing demands for various air transport missions. And no matter what the requirements for an operation are, the C295 stands ready to conduct its mission successfully," says Airbus.

Airbus on its website says it has received 285 orders for the aircraft and delivered 203. At least 201 are operational.

In the military, the C295 aircraft is combat-proven and has successfully completed military missions in all types of environments, says Airbus. It routinely operates in the hot and humid environments of the Brazilian jungle and Colombian mountains, in the dusty and very hot deserts of Algeria and Jordan, and in the extremely cold winters and icy conditions of Poland and Finland.

As a tactical transport, it can carry troops and the supplies from the main operating base to forward bases and among forward locations. The C295 can use short unprepared airstrips not accessible to heavier aircraft.

Airbus says the C295 is also ideal for any kind of humanitarian mission. Activities performed by the C295's "civilian version" include surveillance and control activities such as search and rescue, maritime pollution control and deterrence, wild deforestation and bringing supplies to people living in remote locations.