Govt inks ₹22k-cr deal with Airbus for 56 jets

The Union defence ministry on Friday announced that it has signed a ₹22,000 crore contract with Airbus Defence and Space for 56 C-295 medium transport aircraft to modernise the India Air Force’s transport fleet, with the development coming a fortnight after India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared the purchase to give push to the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India campaign).

The C-295s will replace the IAF’s fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes that entered service in the early 1960s. Airbus Defence and Space and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) will jointly execute the programme under which Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in flyaway condition from Spain while TASL will assemble the rest in India. IAF will become the 35th C-295 operator worldwide.