The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday approved the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft from Spain's Airbus Defence and Space for the Indian Air Force. Among these,16 aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain.
Meanwhile forty aircraft will be manufactured in India by TATA Consortium within ten years of signing of the contract. This is for the first time that a project of this kind has been approved where a military aircraft will be manufactured in the country by a private firm.
The military transport aircraft will replace the ageing Avros of Indian Air Force, according to a Press Information Bureau release.
The transport aircraft has 5-10 tonne capacity and boasts contemporary technology with a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo, a government statement said.
The statement also added that this will spur the Centre's Atmanirbhar campaign, offering a unique opportunity for India's private sector to enter the technology-intensive and highly competitive aviation industry.
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