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Economy, Defence & Security
Mahesh

16/09/23 06:51 AM IST

India gets its first C-295 aircraft

In News
  • India got its first C-295 transport aircraft, providing a crucial boost to the nation’s defence capabilities.
Features of C-295
  • In 2021, the defence ministry signed a Rs 21,935 crore deal with Airbus and Space SA, Spain, to procure 56 C-295MW transport aircraft to replace IAF’s Avro fleet.
  • Under the pact, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition, manufactured at its facility in Seville
  • The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India in collaboration with Airbus.
  • The first made-in-India aircraft will be delivered in 2026, while the rest 39 by 2031.
  • TASL, which set up a factory in Telangana’s Hyderabad last year, will produce major components such as fuselage at this facility
  • Airbus’ C-295 aircraft can carry up to nine tonnes of cargo.
  • The military plane, with the capacity to transport 71 troops, has a cruising speed of 260 knots or around 481 kilometres per hour.
  • The C295 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprop engines that provide excellent manoeuvrability, outstanding hot-and-high performance, with fuel consumption for a very long endurance of up to 13 hours aloft.
  • The aircraft acquired by India will be equipped with indigenous radar warning receivers and missile approach warning systems developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
  • The Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will provide a countermeasure dispensing system for the military planes.
Significance
  • The C-295 final assembly line in India is the first concrete, large-scale Make-in-India defence programme in the private sector that will unlock the industrial value chain of design, manufacturing, assembly, testing, delivery, and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.
  • The project will strengthen India’s aerospace ecosystem, wherein several MSMEs spread across the country will produce components of the aircraft.
  • This will reportedly generate 15,000 high-skilled jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs in the next decade.
  • It is also expected to reduce import dependency by enhancing domestic aviation manufacturing.
  • Amid potential threats from China and Pakistan, the multi-role tactical airlifter will play a significant role in keeping India’s defences strong.
Source- Hindustan Times

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