Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday, jointly inaugurated the Tata-Airbus C295 aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat. Sanchez, currently on a three-day visit to India, arrived in Vadodara for the occasion.
This project, one of India’s major defense initiatives, is a collaboration between Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus Spain at the TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) campus. Under the C295 program, a total of 56 aircraft will be produced, with 16 being supplied by Airbus directly from Spain, while the remaining 40 will be manufactured in India.
Where is it produced and by whom?
Earlier in February, the Defence Acquisitions Council, led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved an initial draft for the project. This proposal included an additional 15 C295 aircraft, with nine intended for the Navy and six for the Coast Guard.
The C295 was originally produced by the Spanish aircraft company Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA, which is now a part of Airbus. Production is based at Airbus’s facility in Spain. In September 2021, India finalized a deal worth Rs 21,935 crore with Airbus Defence and Space to acquire 56 C295 aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force’s aging Avro-748 fleet, which has been in service since the early 1960s.
What are the technical specifications of the Tata-Airbus C295 aircraft?
The C295MW model is a versatile transport aircraft with a load capacity of 5 to 10 tonnes and a maximum speed of 480 km/h. It features a rear ramp door for rapid deployment and paratrooping of personnel and supplies, along with short take-off and landing capabilities on semi-prepared surfaces.
According to Airbus, the C295 has a cabin length of 12.7 meters (or 41 feet, 8 inches) and is noted for having the longest unobstructed cabin in its category, which can seat up to 71 passengers. Airbus claims the aircraft surpasses competitors in cargo capacity with the ability to directly offload via the rear ramp.
All 56 aircraft will be equipped with an indigenously developed electronic warfare suite by Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar mentioned that the indigenous content in the aircraft will be higher than any previous Indian-manufactured plane, with 96% of the work done in Spain to be replicated in the Vadodara facility.
What roles can the Tata-Airbus C295 perform?
Airbus reports that the C295 has proven its capability in diverse terrains globally, including the Brazilian jungles, Colombian mountains, Algerian and Jordanian deserts, and the cold climates of Poland and Finland. The aircraft has also supported military operations in Chad, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
As a tactical transport aircraft, the C295 is adept at ferrying troops and supplies between primary and forward operating airfields. It can operate on unprepared short airstrips, thanks to its Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) capability, handling airstrips as short as 2,200 feet. The C295 also supports low-speed tactical operations, allowing it to fly at 110 knots during low-level missions.
Additionally, the aircraft can be adapted for medical or casualty evacuation, disaster relief missions, special operations, and maritime patrol tasks.
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