C-295 Transport Aircraft
#GS-03 Science and Technology, Economy
For Prelims:
About C-295:
- Airbus C-295 is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA which is a part of Airbus.
- C-295 is capable of performing a wide variety of missions effectively including parachute and cargo dropping, electronic signals intelligence (ELINT), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and maritime patrol.
- The C-295 was originally produced by a Spanish aircraft manufacturer named Construccionaes Aeronauticcas SA.
- This company is now part of Airbus and the aircraft’s manufacturing takes place at Airbus’s plant in Spain.
- C-295 aircraft has been procured to replace the IAF’s ageing Avro-748 planes, which entered service in the early 1960s.
- The C-295 is a transport aircraft with 5 to 10-tonne capacity and a maximum speed of 480 kmph.
About C-295 aircraft manufacturing plant:
- The C-295 aircraft manufacturing plant has been set up in Vadodara, Gujarat, by the Tata-Airbus consortium.
- It is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company.
- It is also the first time that the C-295 aircraft will be manufactured outside of Europe.
- The manufacturing unit will cater to the export of the transport aircraft and for additional orders by the IAF.
- 56 Aircrafts are contracted to be bought by the Indian Airforce out of which 16 aircraft are to be delivered in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain.
- The subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
- The first Made-in-India aircraft will be rolled out of the manufacturing facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 will have to be produced by August 2031.
- After the completion of the delivery of 56 aircraft to the IAF, Airbus Defence and Space will be allowed to sell the aircraft manufactured in India to civil operators and export to countries which are cleared by the Government of India.
