It has been reported that the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will be acquiring 15 C-295 transport aircraft worth Rs 18,000 Crores that are being manufactured in India in a JV between Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus.
As of now, the proposal for the acquisition of these 15 aircraft are at an advanced stage with the Ministry of Defence, India.
Out of the 15 aircraft to be procured, nine (9) aircraft would be procured by the Indian Navy (IN) while six (6) would be for the ICG.
The transport aircraft would, subsequently will be modified and outfitted with multi-mode radars, electro-optic cameras, and sonobuoys by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) for high-sea surveillance missions.
The Spain based Airbus Defence and Space will modify the first two planes for maritime use; while the remaining are to be built at the Tata-Airbus facility in Vadodara, Gujarat, with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) managing the overall project to equip them as Medium-Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft.
Both the IN and the ICG have been looking for new MRMR aircraft for the effective patrolling of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Earlier, in September 2021, India formalised the acquisition of 56 Airbus C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to replace the ageing Avro-748 aircrafts of the IAF at a cost of Rs 21,935 Crores.
Under the deal, Airbus is to deliver the first Sixteen (16) aircraft in flyaway condition.
They are scheduled to be received between September 2023 and August 2025.
While, the Remaining forty (40) will be manufactured and assembled by the Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in collaboration with Airbus at the Vadodara manufacturing facility.
All 56 aircraft will be fitted with indigenous Electronic Warfare suite manufactured by Indian DPSUs – Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
Once the order from the Navy and Coast Guard is approved by the Indian MoD, it will take the Tata Airbus order book to 71 from the existing 56.
To read all about C295 Aircraft Project and how it will be a Game Changer for Indian Aerospace Industry read the DS Blog Post: https://thedefencespace.com/2023/10/03/c295-aircraft-project-a-game-changer-for-indian-aerospace-industry/
