New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Monday jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing the C-295 aircraft in Vadodara, the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India. A total of 40 military tactical transport aircraft will be built at the Vadodara facility as part of the agreement, while aviation giant Airbus will deliver 16 aircraft directly.
About C-295 aircraft
The C-295 is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the Indian Air Force's ageing Avro-748 planes.
The C-295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft.
The aircraft can cruise at the speed of 260 knots and can also operate on short airstrips. It can also land successfully on unpaved, soft, and sandy/grass airstrips.
The aircraft, called "robust and reliable", with a flight endurance of up to 11 hours, can carry out multi-role operations under all weather conditions. It can routinely operate day as well as night combat missions from desert to maritime environments, apart from disaster response.
It can serve as a flying ICU, equipped for medical evacuations. It is equipped for the air-to-air refueling of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
The C-295 has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para-dropping of troops and cargo. Short take-off/land from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features.
All 56 aircraft under the agreement will also be fitted with an indigenous Electronic Warfare suite manufactured by Indian DPSUs - Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
Fitted with a retractable landing gear and featuring an unobstructed 12.69-meter-long pressurized cabin, the C295 cruises at altitudes up to 30,000 feet, while also retaining excellent low-level flight characteristics.
The C295 is combat proven, having been successfully used during long deployments in remote areas such as Chad, Iraq and Afghanistan. It routinely operates in the hot and humid conditions of the Brazilian jungle and Colombian mountains, in the dusty and very hot deserts of Egypt and Algeria, and in the extremely cold and icy winters of Poland, Finland and Kazakhstan.
About the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara
At the facility, operations will involve the full development of a complete ecosystem, from manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete life cycle of the aircraft.
The first C-295 aircraft may come out of Tata-Airbus' factory in Vadodara in September 2026. The remaining 39 aircraft are to be delivered by August 2031.
Apart from the Tatas, leading defence public sector units, such as Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics, as well as private micro, small and medium enterprises will contribute to this programme.
India will be largest operator of the aircraft with 56 units by 2031.