Through a contract worth US$3 billion, India immediately shifted Indonesia's position as the largest operator of C-295 transport aircraft in the Asia Pacific. In fact, with a total order of 56 units, India will automatically become the largest C-295 operator in the world.
The variant for India is also given the special code C-295MW. And not long ago there was news that the first C-295MW unit had been delivered by Airbus to the Indian Air Force.
From its headquarters in Seville, Spain. Airbus Defense and Space (ADS) has officially handed over the first C295MW aircraft in fly-away condition to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to begin replacing its aging Avros-748 fleet.
The C295MW, in a transport configuration equipped with indigenous Indian electronic warfare systems, will leave Airbus' production site in Seville, Spain, for Delhi, India, in the next few days, piloted by a joint crew from the Indian Air Force and Airbus.
“Just two years ago we signed this contract with India, the largest order in the history of the C295,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Airbus Military Air Systems, at a delivery ceremony held in Seville in the presence of Indian Ambassador to Spain Dinesh K. Patnaik and IAF Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari.
The first 16 C-295 aircraft of the 56 aircraft ordered will be assembled at the San Pablo Sur site in Seville, Spain, with the second aircraft to be delivered in May 2024 and the next 14 aircraft to be rolled out at intervals of one aircraft per month until August. 2025.
First 'Make in India' C-295 Coming in 2026
To increase the independence of the defense manufacturing sector in India, the remaining 40 C-295 units ordered by the Indian Air Force will be manufactured and assembled in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) – at the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, western India .
Production of these aircraft components has started at the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad, southern India. These spare parts will be delivered to the Vadovara FAL, which is expected to be operational by November 2024.
The first ‘Make in India’ C-295 will roll out from Vadodara FAL in September 2026 and will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry; the last aircraft is expected to be delivered to the Indian Air Force in August 2031.
With 283 orders from 41 operators, the C-295 is a leader in its segment and stands out for its versatility. The aircraft can carry up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, airdrop cargo, be used for medical evacuations and take off and landing on short, unpaved runways.