Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, the Chief of Air Staff, received the first C-295 transport aircraft built for India by global aircraft maker Airbus on Wednesday at a facility in Seville, Spain.
The keys to the aircraft were handed over by Airbus representatives to Indian Air Force Chief Chaudhari. After receiving the first C-295 transport aircraft, the IAF chief stated that it is a significant milestone for the entire country and a stepping stone for Atmanirbhar Bharat.
“It is a major milestone not only for IAF but for the whole country. This is for two reasons – first, for IAF it improves our tactical airlift capabilities by leaps and bounds. For a nation, it marks the beginning of a new era,” Chaudhari said.
For Atmanirbhar Bharat, he said, “After the first 16 aircraft roll out from this plant, the 17th aircraft onwards will be made in India. It’s a big step for the Indian aviation industry where we will be manufacturing the first military transport aircraft in the country.”
The aircraft is the first of 16 C-295s to be built in Spain, with the remainder 40 being built in an Indian plant in Gujarat’s Vadodara under a joint venture between Tata and Airbus. The aircraft is slated to be formally brought into service in Hindan in September last week.
As Deputy leader of Air Staff, the Indian Air Force leader was actively involved in the contract at critical phases, leading the contract discussions. The Indian Defense Ministry and Airbus Defence and Space, Spain inked a contract in September 2021 for the procurement of 56 C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force. The C-295MW cargo aircraft has a capacity of 5-10 tonnes and is equipped with cutting-edge technologies.