NEW DELHI: India’s first ‘made-in-India’ C295 military transport aircraft has successfully completed its maiden test-flight at the final assembly line in Gujarat, “marking a big milestone for Indian aviation and defence”. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), in partnership with Airbus, is manufacturing the C295 aircraft at the Vadodara plant.In an official post on X, Airbus Defence, the military division of Airbus, said on Wednesday, “This maiden test flight is a crucial step in the aircraft’s post production testing process. As the first of 40 aircraft to be built in India, the test-flight advances the programme’s objective of delivering the first ‘Made-in-India’ C295 aircraft this year to the Indian Air Force. A game-changer in the govt of India’s ‘Make in India’ vision, the C295 India programme is the first instance of a military aircraft being manufactured in India by the private sector.”India had signed a Rs 21,935 crore contract with Spain in Sept 2021 for 56 C-295 transport aircraft. Of these, 16 aircraft are being supplied directly from Spain in fly-away condition, while the remaining 40 are planned to be manufactured in India under the “Make in India” initiative. The Vadodara plant was inaugurated on Oct 28, 2024 by PM Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez.Welcoming the maiden test-flight, the IAF congratulated the “entire team behind the successful maiden flight of the first India-made C-295”. In a post on X, the IAF said, “The achievement reinforces India’s growing aerospace capabilities and underscores the IAF commitment to fostering indigenous defence capability under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.” IAF Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, deputy chief of the air staff, last month visited the Vadodara plant to get a first-hand update about the C295 aircraft.The C295, which will replace the aging Avro-748 fleet of the IAF, is a medium tactical military transport aircraft designed for troop movement, cargo transport, medical evacuation and special operations missions. It can carry up to 70 troops, 48 paratroopers or 24 medical stretchers. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW127G turboprop engines, it is equipped with short take-off and landing capabilities and can operate from rugged, semi-prepared and short airstrips, making it ideal for Indian operational requirements, especially in mountainous regions and remote forward bases.
