IAF Takes Delivery Of First C295: How This Deal Kicks Off ‘Make In India’ Scheme For Military Aircraft

Relevance: GS3 - Defense Technology, Prelims

(Source: Indian Express, 09/15/2023)

Why in the news?

• Recently, the Indian Air Force received the first of the 56 C295 aircraft, which are set to replace its aging Avro-748 fleet.
• This will propel India’s first-ever ‘Make in India’ Aerospace programme in the private sector, boosting employment in the Indian aerospace sector.
• This is the first time that Airbus is building a complete production system outside Spain.

What is the C295 aircraft?

• The C295 aircraft is a versatile and tactical transport craft produced by Airbus, a European multinational aerospace corporation.
• Capabilities: It is capable of performing a wide range of missions including troop and cargo carriage, maritime patrols, airborne warnings, surveillance, reconnaissance, medical evacuation, VIP transport, airborne fighting, and armed close air support.
  • The aircraft is also capable of executing quick take-offs and landings fat unpaved, soft, sandy, and grassy airstrips.
  • It can also carry out air-to-air refueling of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
• Engines: The craft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines which allows the aircraft to cruise at altitudes of up to 30,000 ft.
• Capacity: It can carry a payload of nine tonnes of payload or around 71 personnel at a maximum cruise speed of 260 kts.

When will India’s C295s arrive?

• India formalized the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft at a cost of ₹21,935 crores in September 2021.
• The first 16 C295s will be assembled in Seville and will be delivered in fly-away condition.
• The second aircraft will be delivered in May 2024 and the next 14 will be delivered at the rate of one each month until August 2025.
• The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled at a Final Assembly Line in Vadodara, Gujarat in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).
  • They will be delivered to the IAF between 2026 and 2031.

Why is the acquisition significant?

• Upgrading fleet:
  • The C295 will replace the IAF’s legacy Avro fleet which was acquired in the 1960s.
  • This is expected to boost the IAF’s air transport and carrying capacities.
• Make in India:
  • The C295s will be built under the Make in India scheme, making it the first example of the Make in India aerospace programme in the private sector.
  • Previously, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) held a monopoly over the manufacture of military aircraft in the country.
  • The project is expected to produce 15,000 high-skilled jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs in the next ten years.

Indigenous components of the C295

• Airbus will transfer technology, excluding critical components such as avionics and engines, to TASL so that 95% of the aircraft can be manufactured in India.
• Bharat Electronics Limited will develop indigenous radar warning receivers and missile approach warning systems for the craft.
• Bharat Dynamics Limited will develop the countermeasure dispensing system.
• The aircraft’s airframe, comprising 14,000 parts and components, of which 3,500 parts will be manufactured by TASL progressively each year.
• However, this will depend on the ability of Indian supply chains to achieve the targeted level of indigenization.
• The first full Indian C295 will be the 32nd aircraft, which is expected to be delivered between January and March 2029.
• Airbus will provide spare support for 10 years and a performance-based logistics contract for five years to ensure that 85% of the fleet will be available to the force at all times.

Current status of manufacturing

• In 2022, TASL established a factory in Hyderabad where the manufacture of the major airframe components, such as fuselage and tail was initiated in July 2023.
• Once the major sections of the aircraft are assembled at Hyderabad, they will be transported to the Vadodara facility where they will be fitted with the engine, avionics, and other critical components sourced by Airbus.
• The Vadodara final assembly line will be capable of producing 12 aircraft per year.

Similar airplanes used by the IAF

The IAF also operates the C-130J Super Hercules planes in the medium category and the giant C-17 Globemaster III for medium and heavier loads, which it had acquired from the United States.

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