New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) may have to wait a few more months for delivery of the first made-in-India Airbus C295 transport aircraft.
The aircraft, being built at Vadodara in Gujarat by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Airbus Defence and Space, was to be handed over to the IAF by September 2026.
It is now expected to take an additional one to two months to join the fleet, outgoing air chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said. This delay is due to minor issues encountered during the testing phase, which are currently being actively resolved.
India has ordered 56 of these aircraft from Airbus. Forty of these aircraft were to be built in India. The remaining aircraft were to be built in Spain. The IAF has received all 16 aircraft built abroad and was waiting keenly for the first made-in-India one to be delivered.
The landmark Rs 21,935 crore contract was signed in September 2021 between the Ministry of Defence and Airbus.
Air Chief Marshal Singh noted that the first Indian-made C295 is already well into the production testing phase, while speaking on the progress of the domestic manufacturing line.
While there are some minor issues currently being resolved, the aircraft will hopefully be ready in a month or two. In his wider update on IAF capabilities, the air chief also touched upon other critical aviation assets, briefly noting progress towards force multipliers like the AEW&C Mark 1A.
The Vadodara facility, established to boost the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative, marks the very first time a private sector company has set up a military aircraft assembly line in India.
The major structural components for these aircraft are manufactured at a facility in Hyderabad before being shipped to Vadodara for final assembly, integration, and flight testing, as reported by News18.
The induction of the C295 fleet represents a critical modernisation step for the IAF, as these modern transports will completely replace the legacy Avro fleet that has been in active service since the 1960s.
The twin-engine turboprop C295 is a highly versatile, aircraft with a 5 to 10-tonne payload capacity. It is exceptionally well-suited for India’s varied and demanding geographical challenges. Equipped with a rear ramp door for quick-reaction deployment and the para-dropping of troops and cargo, the C295 can operate seamlessly from short, semi-prepared, and unprepared airstrips. This makes the aircraft an invaluable tactical asset for logistical operations in high-altitude terrain, particularly along the borders in Ladakh and the northeastern sectors.