The Indian Air Force (IAF) has taken delivery of the first of 56 C295 aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space, which will replace its Avros-748 fleet.

The C295, in transport configuration and with an indigenous electronic warfare suite, will leave Airbus’ production site in Seville, Spain, for Delhi, India, in the next few days, piloted by a joint IAF-Airbus crew. The second aircraft is due to be delivered in May 2024 and the next 14 rolled out at a rate of one per month until August 2025.

“It was only two years ago that we signed this contract with India, the largest order in the history of the C295,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Airbus’ head of military air systems. “Today, we are enhancing the capabilities of the Indian Air Force and modernising its transport fleet by delivering the first aircraft on schedule. This is the beginning of an exciting and long-term journey with the Indian Air Force.”

While the first 16 aircraft will be manufactured in Spain, the remaining 40 will be manufactured and assembled at a Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara in western India in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).

The first ‘Make in India’ C295 will roll out of the Vadodara FAL in September 2026 in what will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry; the final aircraft expected to be delivered to the IAF by August 2031.

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