16 of C-295 aircraft are supposed to be delivered within 48 months from Spain.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive its first C-295 transport aircraft today. The plane was made by Airbus at a facility in Seville. IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari will receive the aircraft on behalf of India in Spain. The C-295 transport plane is part of the 2021 contract that India signed for 56 such aircrafts. Of these 56 aircrafts, 16 will be made in Spain and the remaining 40 will be manufactured in Gujarat's Vadodara as part of the joint venture between Tata and Airbus.
Let's take a look at 5 features of the C-295 transport plane:
- C-295MW aircraft possess a capacity of 5-10 tonnes (which means it can carry around 70 soldiers). The plane will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of the IAF.
- For quick reaction and para-dropping troops and cargo, the aircraft also carries a rear ramp door.
- An indigenous electronic warfare suite will be installed in all 56 aircraft in this contract.
- The inclusion of C-295 aircraft will strengthen the air force, as the transport plane possesses the ability to land and take off even on short runways. The aircraft will require 670 meters of runway for take-off and only 320 meters for landing. This feature makes it possible for the C-295 to deliver essential goods in inaccessible and hilly areas.
- The C-295 can fly for around 11 hours at a speed of about 480 kilometres per hour.
Sixteen of these aircraft are supposed to be delivered within 48 months from Spain. The rest will be manufactured within 10 years of the contract signing date.
This is the first project where military aircraft will be built in India. It is believed that the programme will boost the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The contract is also expected to reduce the import dependency by increasing domestic aviation manufacturing.