Indian Air Force receives first of 56 C-295 aircraft from Spain

The Indian Air Force on Wednesday took the delivery of its first C-295 transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space, with Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari attending the handing over ceremony at Seville in Spain, HT reported quoting official sources.

A total of 56 such aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by 2031, as per India’s ₹21,935-crore deal.

The C-295 planes are considered to be designed for tactical transport, surveillance and airborne firefighting. It is capable of carrying a 9 tonne of payload and cruising at 480kmph.

The aircraft will travel to the Hindon Airbase, where it will officially be inducted into the air force.

In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility for 295 planes in Vadodara.

It will be the first military aircraft to be manufactured in India by a private consortium, news agency PTI reported.

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The global C295 programme comprises a total of 280 orders from 39 operators, making it an unmatched aircraft in its weight and mission class, the plane maker said.

(With PTI inputs)