New Delhi: The Indian Air Force will get its first state-of-the-art transport aircraft C-295, equipped with all electronic warfare equipment as per its needs, in September 2026. In this big purchase deal of 56 aircraft with the world's leading aviation company Airbus, 40 aircraft will be assembled in India in joint partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).

However, the Air Force will be able to get all the 40 indigenously manufactured transport aircraft under this deal only by August 2031. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spain's PM Pedro Sanchez will inaugurate the first joint facility plant of its kind in the country for manufacturing transport aircraft for the Air Force in Vadodara on Monday.

Big showcase of Make in India

This Final Assembly Line (FAL) of TASL, a strategic unit of Tata Aerospace and Defence Systems, and Airbus will be a big showcase of Make in India. In the new era of global geopolitical challenges, the start of manufacturing of C 295 transport aircraft will not only meet the immediate needs of the Indian Air Force but will also open new doors for long-term cooperation and partnership in the defense aviation manufacturing sector.

Sources in the Defence Ministry said that the supply of these aircraft to the Air Force will start from here after about two years and in September 2026, the Air Force will get the first C-295 aircraft manufactured in the country. All 56 aircraft will be equipped with electronic warfare suites, which will be manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited. The supply of all 40 aircraft will take about eight years and they will be delivered by August 2031.

The deal was for 56 aircraft

The Indian Air Force had signed a deal with Airbus for the purchase of 56 aircraft worth about Rs 22,000 crore. Under the agreement, 16 aircraft are to be brought from Spain in a fully ready condition, the supply of which started in September 2023. The last aircraft out of these 16 aircraft will be delivered to the Air Force by August 2025. In view of the operation of these aircraft, the Air Force has also set up a full mission simulator at its Agra station.

The C-295 is a versatile new generation tactical airlift aircraft, capable of performing its flight missions in all types of weather conditions, both day and night. It is designed for multi-faceted roles, from transporting troops to conducting crisis missions. It is also capable of flying on small and less developed airstrips, which will give the Air Force strategic advantage.

The aircraft has been replaced by 748 Avro

The C-295 has been introduced in the Indian Air Force to replace the HS 748 Avro AC, which was inducted into the Air Force in the 1960s. This new generation transport aircraft is used exclusively for airlift operations. The aircraft has modern technology and avionics and is considered to be perhaps the best in its class with heavy carrying capacity.