Govt clears C-295 aircraft deal for IAF

In what would provide a major fillip to the transport fleet of the Indian Air Force, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday cleared procurement of 56 transport aircraft from Airbus. The deal to buy the C-295MW transport aircraft is expected to cost upwards of Rs 20,000 crore.

While the first 16 of these aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain, within 48 months of the contract being signed, the remaining 40 will be manufactured in India by a consortium led by the Tata Group over 10 years, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said that it will make it the first-of-its-kind deal in the country. All aircraft will be installed with the indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite, it stated.