The Indian Air Force (IAF) announced on Wednesday that the first made-in-India C-295 military transport aircraft had successfully completed its maiden flight.
"The achievement reinforces India's growing aerospace capabilities and underscores the Indian Air Force's commitment to fostering indigenous defence capability under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat," the IAF said.
Congratulating the teams involved, the IAF said the successful flight demonstrated India's growing aerospace capabilities.
Airbus Defence also described the flight as an important step in the programme.
"The first 'Made in India' Airbus C295 military transport aircraft has conducted its first test flight from the Final Assembly Line in Vadodara, marking a milestone for Indian aviation and defence. This maiden test flight is a crucial step in the aircraft's post-production testing process," the company said in a statement.
The company added that the aircraft is the first of 40 C-295s to be built in India and that the successful test flight moves the programme closer to delivering the first India-made aircraft to the IAF later this year.
"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," Airbus said.
The successful maiden flight of the first made-in-India C-295 military transport aircraft marks a major milestone for India's aerospace and defence sectors, as it is the first military aircraft being manufactured in the country by the private sector.
The IAF is procuring 56 C-295 transport aircraft at a cost of around ₹21,935 crore. While 16 of the 56 C-295 aircraft would be delivered in fly-away condition, the remaining 40 will be assembled in the country by Tata Advanced Systems Limited in partnership with Airbus at a production facility in Vadodara.
Why is C-295 important?
The C-295 is a tactical transport aircraft designed to undertake a wide range of missions, including troop and cargo transport, maritime patrol, airborne warning, surveillance and reconnaissance, signals intelligence, armed close air support, medical evacuation, VIP transport and airborne firefighting.
According to Airbus, the aircraft is capable of carrying up to eight tonnes of payload or as many as 70 troops. It can also be configured for air-to-air refuelling of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The company says the platform combines versatility, reliability, manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency, with an endurance of up to 13 hours.
For India, the maiden flight is significant not only because it advances the IAF's transport aircraft programme, but also because it marks a key step in the country's efforts to build military aircraft domestically under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
