Why in News?
The C-295 military transport aircraft is making headlines because the first "Made in India" C-295 successfully completed its maiden test flight from the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, Gujarat.
The Deal and Manufacturing Split
- Total Valuation: India signed a ₹21,935 crore contract in September 2021 to procure a total of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft.
- The 16 "Fly-Away" Units: The first 16 aircraft were manufactured entirely at the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain, and delivered to India in ready-to-fly condition.
- The 40 "Made in India" Units: The remaining 40 aircraft are being built from scratch and assembled domestically at the TASL Vadodara plant.
- Final Delivery Deadline: The entire fleet of 56 aircraft is scheduled to be fully integrated into the Indian military by August 2031.
Aircraft Technical Features & Capabilities
- Aircraft Type: A highly versatile, twin-engine turboprop tactical military airlifter designed for medium-range operations.
- Capacity Limits: Features a transport capacity ranging between 5 to 10 tonnes.
- Aging Fleet Replacement: Directly replaces the Indian Air Force's legacy, decades-old British-origin Avro-748 transport planes.
- Rough-Terrain Landing: Capable of executing short take-offs and landings on unprepared, rough, or short airstrips, making it perfect for remote mountain and border operations.
- Multi-Role Capability: Engineered to swiftly shift between troop transport (up to 71 troops), logistical cargo delivery, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and disaster relief missions.
- Indigenous Electronic Warfare: Every single one of the 56 aircraft is equipped with a homegrown, indigenously manufactured Electronic Warfare Suite for defence protection.
Strategic Significance & Economic Impact
- This historic flight marks the first time a military aircraft has been manufactured in India by a private sector company, signalling a massive breakthrough for the country's defence indigenization and aerospace ecosystem.
- Boosting Atmanirbhar Bharat: Acts as the primary blueprint for the "Make in India" initiative in deep-tech defence and aerospace manufacturing.
- Deep Supply Chain Integration: The manufacturing process uses over 13,000 individual parts and 4,600 sub-assemblies, sourcing roughly 70% of its components locally from an extensive network of 37 Indian suppliers (including 33 MSMEs).
- Job Creation: The project has generated more than 600 highly technical aerospace engineering positions alongside 3,000 indirect industrial jobs.
- Civilian Use Flexibility: The aircraft's foundational blueprint is designed so it can eventually be customized and manufactured for domestic maritime, coast guard, or civilian regional connectivity purposes.
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