PM Modi lays foundation stone for C-295 transport aircraft production plant

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for a manufacturing plant in this Gujarat city for the production of C-295 medium transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

The plane will be produced by a consortium made up of major European aerospace company Airbus and the Tata Group.

This is the first such project in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company.

The manufacturing unit will also handle the export of the first transport aircraft as well as additional orders from the Indian Air Force.

In September last year, India struck a Rs 21,935 crore deal with Airbus Defense and Space to purchase 56 C-295 jets to replace the IAF’s aging Avro-748 jets which entered in service in the early 1960s.

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Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain, within four years and the next 40 aircraft will be manufactured by Tata. Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.

The 16 flying aircraft are expected to be delivered to the IAF between September 2023 and August 2025.

The first aircraft made in India will roll out of the manufacturing plant in September 2026 and the remaining 39 are to be produced by August 2031.

The foundation laying ceremony was also attended by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel among others.

IAF officials said the aircraft could operate from Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) and even unprepared runways.

It is also the first time that the C-295 aircraft will be manufactured outside of Europe.

The 56 aircraft will be equipped with an indigenous electronic warfare suite to be developed by state-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.

After the completion of the delivery of 56 aircraft to the IAF, Airbus Defense and Space will be allowed to sell the Indian-made aircraft to civilian operators and export them to countries authorized by the Indian government.

Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar said the indigenous content of the planes will be the highest ever in India and that 96% of the work done by Airbus in Spain to produce the plane will be done in the manufacturing unit of Vadodara.

The C-295MW is a 5-10 ton capacity transport aircraft with contemporary technology.

The plane has a maximum speed of 480 km/h.

It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and dropping of troops and cargo. Short take-off and landing from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its characteristics. The aircraft is intended to bolster the logistics capabilities of the IAF.

Officials said the project provides a unique opportunity for the Indian private sector to enter the technology-intensive and highly competitive aviation industry.

The Ministry of Defense said that the manufacture of more than 13,400 spare parts, 4,600 sub-assemblies and the seven major component assemblies of the aircraft will be undertaken in India.

He said various systems such as engines, landing gear and avionics will be supplied by Airbus Defense and Space and integrated into the aircraft by the TATA consortium.

With a proven ability to operate from short or unprepared airstrips, the C-295 is used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistics operations to locations that are not not accessible to today’s heavier aircraft.

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The aircraft can drop paratroopers and payloads, and also be used for medevac or medical evacuations.

The aircraft is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol missions.

The aircraft will be tested as an integrated system by the TATA consortium. The aircraft will be flight tested and delivered via a delivery center at the TATA Consortium facilities.

The project is expected to directly generate 600 highly skilled jobs, more than 3,000 indirect jobs and 3,000 additional employment opportunities for medium skills with more than 42.5 lakh working hours in the aerospace and manufacturing sector. defense.

Nearly 240 engineers will be trained at the Airbus site in Spain for the project. “The project provides a unique opportunity for the Indian private sector to enter the technology-intensive and highly competitive aviation industry. exports,” the Department of Defense said in a statement. Thursday.