C-295 manufacturing ecosystem takes shape in India as first aircraft set to be delivered in September

IAF to receive first first C-295 transport aircraft in September 2023. Six pilots trained in Seville, 20-member maintenance crew being trained. First aircraft manufactured in India to be delivered in September 2026

In about 45 days from now, in September, the Indian Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive the first C-295 transport aircraft and ahead of it, six pilots have been trained in Seville by Airbus and training of a 20-member maintenance crew is currently under way. Ground breaking ceremony for a training centre at Air Force station, Agra, was done in March with a full motion simulator to be delivered by the end of 2024. Work is under way for setting up the Final Assembly Line (FAL) at Vadodara with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), according to Jorge Tamarit, head of C-295 India programme, Airbus. The first aircraft manufactured in India would be delivered in September 2026.

“The FAL in Vadodara will be ready by mid-2024 and start production by November 2024,” Mr. Tamarit said speaking to a small group of visiting journalists from India. “Next week the Main Constituent Assembly [MCA] in Hyderabad is set to start production where several major sub-assemblies for the 40 aircraft to be assembled in India would be made, beginning with the rear-end fuselage.”

Explained | The C-295 and India’s aircraft industry

The second C-295 will be delivered in May 2024 followed by seven aircraft in 2024 at the rate of one per month, said Jorge Madrid, head of C-295 India-version development programme.

In September 2021, the Defence Ministry signed a ₹22,000-crore deal with Airbus and Space S.A., Spain, for procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft to replace the Avro aircraft in service with the IAF. As per contract, 16 aircraft would come in fly away condition, manufactured at the Airbus facility in Seville, and 40 would be manufactured in India by Airbus jointly with TASL.

The C-295 has a capacity of 9 tonnes and can carry up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers. Eventually, IAF will become the largest operator of the C-295.

Talking of the uniqueness of the deal, Mr. Tamarit said the contract involving ‘Make-in-India’ and offset obligations is unprecedented. Airbus has not done a full production system ever, he said stating the deal involves 30% offset obligations on top of ‘Make-in-India’ obligations. The contract includes service support programme: spares, ground support and test equipment, tech publications, training, training devices, performance-based logistics contract. In March, the contract for Performance Based Logistics (PBL) for five years was signed as per which a fleet availability rate of 85% rate would be ensured. Also the contract for supply of spares is for 10 years covering 10 operating bases.