First C-295 aircraft inducted into IAF, to bolster force's tactical lift capability

The first C-295 transport aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday, a move that will bolster the force's tactical lift capability.

The induction ceremony took place at the Hindan Air Force Station here in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He later took part in a 'Sarva Dharma Pooja' that was performed in the hangar to mark the occasion.

He also made the auspicious symbols of 'Swastika' and 'Om' on the livery of the aircraft.

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Spanish envoy in India, Jose Maria Ridao, along with senior officials of the IAF as well as of Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) attended the induction ceremony.

The first C-295 medium tactical aircraft was inducted into Squadron No. 11 of the IAF. It is one of the oldest squadrons of the Air Force and is currently based at the Vadodara Air Force Station.

''Attended the unveiling ceremony of C-295 MW at the Hindon Air Force Station. This medium lift tactical aircraft is capable of taking off and landing from unprepared landing grounds and it will replace the HS-748 Avro aircraft,'' Singh posted on 'X' after the ceremony. ''The induction of C-295 will bolster medium lift tactical capability of the IAF. The Defence and aerospace sectors are the two important pillars for making India self-reliant in coming years,'' he said.

The aircraft was unveiled at a hangar of the Hindan Air Force Station after two sliding screens, bearing '11 SQN: Pioneers of C-295 MW', 'Rhinos: The Trailblazers of C-295 MW', and an image of the newly inducted aircraft, moved sideways. One-horned rhino is the emblem of the Squadron No. 11.

The IAF chief had on September 13 received the first of the 56 C-295 transport aircraft, two years after India sealed a Rs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the planes to replace its ageing Avro-748 fleet.

The aircraft had landed in Vadodara on September 20, days after it was handed over to the IAF in the southern Spanish city of Seville.

Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.

Former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal (retd) RKS Bhadauria also attended the ceremony. In an interaction with PTI, he said the induction of the military transport aircraft ''heralds a new era for the Air Force'', adding that this fleet will in the times to come become the backbone of the force's tactical lift capability.

Asked if the C-295 aircraft delivery in future will be in consonance with change in technology, he said, ''The aircraft that we are inducting is a state-of the-art one, and in the near future there is no worry from this perspective.'' ''It's a great day for the IAF as it was one of the very critical requirement to replace the Avro fleet. And, from that perspective, this induction ceremony is heralding a new era for the Air Force in terms of the tactical airlift capability,'' the former IAF chief said at the Hindan airbase.

The first batch of Rafale fighter aircraft was inducted in September 2020 during Bhadauria's tenure as the IAF's chief.

Asked if the induction of C-295 aircraft will also boost the IAF's operational capabilities in high-altitude areas as well, given the backdrop of the eastern Ladakh standoff that had erupted in 2020, he said, ''Our heavy lift capability for such roles is already quite good.'' ''And, once this capability gets inducted, it will support such movements too. So, the overall capability to undertake any such missions or any such requirements would certainly gets enhanced,'' Bhadauria said.

The IAF is procuring the C-295 aircraft to replace its fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes that entered service over six decades ago.

The C-295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troopers or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft. The aircraft can airdrop paratroops and loads, and also be used for casualty or medical evacuation. It is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol duties.

The newly inducted C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft is likely to take part in the upcoming Air Force Day celebrations in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Monday.

The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly facility in Hyderabad. These parts will be shipped to the Final Assembly Line in Vadodara which is expected to be operational by November 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility for C-295 planes in Vadodara in October last year. It will be the first military aircraft to be manufactured in India by a private consortium.

Prior to attending the induction ceremony, Defence Minister Singh on Monday inaugurated a two-day mega drone show being hosted at the Hindan airbase here.

The show -- Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 -- is being jointly organised by the IAF and Drone Federation of India (DFI), and it features over 75 drone start-ups from across the country.

During the event, Singh and other dignitaries were also briefed on the latest in-house innovations of the IAF at an exhibition which featured projects such as Hybrid Drone Detection System, AI Engine for fault diagnosis, Fly-By-Wire Tester, Stabilized Power Supply Trolleys, QR Code based Tool Crib management system and also modern teaching aids.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Road, Transport and Highways, Gen (retd) V K Singh, defence attaches and officials from friendly foreign countries as well as representatives of the Indian industry also attended the event.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)