The first C-295 medium transport tactical aircraft for India has successfully completed its maiden flight, marking a significant milestone towards its delivery by the second half of 2023. The tactical aircraft took off from Seville, Spain, on May 5 and landed after three hours of flight.
The IAF had inked a contract with Airbus Defence and Space last year to for 56 C-295 aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Avro fleet. While 16 C-295s will be bought off the shelf from the manufacturer, the remaining aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by the Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October last year laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility in Vadodra, Gujarat.
