New Delhi, Delhi, 29th of October, 2024 : The Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 21,935 crore contract in September 2021 for the procurement of 56 C-295 transport aircraft as a replacement for the ageing Avro fleet of the IAF. The deal with Airbus Defence and Space entailed the delivery of the first 16 aircraft to be manufactured and delivered from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain with the subsequent 40 being manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in India under an industrial partnership between India and Spain. This was the first ever collaboration of this kind to manufacture transport aircraft in India. The foundation stone for the TASL Final Assembly Line facility at Vadodara, Gujarat was laid by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 30 Oct 2022. The first aircraft in fly away condition was delivered to the then IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari at Seville in Spain on 13 Sep 2023. Formally inducted into the IAF on 25 Sept 2023 by the Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh at Air Force Station Hindan, the 11 Squadron of the IAF, also known as ‘Rhinos’ based in Vadodara, is already flying six C-295 aircraft.
The C-295, a versatile military transport aircraft with a proven track record and its capability to carry 9.5 tonnes of payload and 70 passengers or 49 paratroopers will give a tremendous boost to the capability of the IAF. With the ability to operate under all types of weather conditions, both by day and night, the aircraft is used worldwide by various air forces. The Airbus C-295 comes with a slew of capabilities that span across a wide range of missions including military transport, air logistics, paratrooping, medical evacuation, search and rescue, maritime patrol, anti submarine warfare, environmental monitoring, border surveillance, water bomber and airborne early warning.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Mr Pedro Sanchez inaugurated the TASL manufacturing facility in Vadodara on 28 Oct 2024. It is the first ever private military aircraft manufacturing facility in India. The first ‘Make in India’ C-295 aircraft is set to be rolled out in September 2026, with the final aircraft expected to be delivered to India by August 2031. This project would give a much needed impetus to the aerospace ecosystem in India wherein several MSMEs spread across the country would be involved in manufacturing parts of the aircraft. A total of 33 MSMEs have already been identified by Airbus. The production for components of the aircraft has already commenced at the Main Constituent Facility in Hyderabad. The Electronic Warfare (EW) systems provided by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited have already been integrated into the aircraft. However due to the prolonged delays in contract negotiation and finalisation these would need to be upgraded and the importance of indigenous electronic warfare systems cannot be over-emphasised.
This programme according to a statement by the MoD would act like a catalyst in employment generation in the aerospace segment, creating opportunities for 600 highly skilled jobs directly, more than 3,000 indirect jobs and an additional 3,000 medium skill employment opportunities with more than 42.5 lakh man hours of work within the aerospace and defence sector in India. Other than the aeroengine and avionics, which are sourced by Airbus from other OEMs, the other structural parts will mostly be made in India. Of 14,000 detailed parts used in one aircraft, 13,000 would be made in India from raw material. The real test however would be on the timely production of 40 aircraft by TASL. Most of the activities hitherto are being driven by Airbus with TASL just doing the execution. The focus must shift to local production, quality control through DGAQA and future certification by CEMILAC and indigenous testing and evaluation for the Indian aerospace ecosystem to flourish and prosper.
Sustained efforts by the Indian government in the last ten years have enabled the defence sector to grow by leaps and bounds. This is reflected in the defence production figures that have grown from Rs 43,726 crore to Rs 1,27,265 crore of which approx 21 percent is contributed by the private sector. Defence exports which were less than Rs 1,000 crore ten years ago have increased to more than Rs 21,000 crore last year. Some of the policy reforms that have helped the country achieve these figures include the provision of the indigenously designed, developed and manufactured (IDDM) category being accorded the highest priority in the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 for procurement of capital equipment.
Seventy five percent of the modernisation budget has been earmarked for procurement through domestic industries in the current financial year. Various other initiatives taken by the government include the launching of the Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint ActioN (SRIJAN) portal, launch of Positive Indigenisation Lists (PILs) , Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), establishment of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with a potential investment of Rs 50,083 crore as of September 2024. Much however needs to be done for speedy clearance of projects by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and subsequent contract negotiations as it took nearly six years after the Request For Proposal (RFP) was issued in May 2013 for the MoD to ink the contract with Airbus.
The Airbus – TASL partnership for the joint manufacturing of C-295 military transport aircraft in India serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration to the hitherto beleaguered aviation ecosystem in India. However it remains to be seen whether TASL will expand on the versions of this aircraft as a civil certified version is also available. Production in India and future exports need to be looked at to realise the full potential of this collaboration. Even as the journey ahead for Aatmanirbharta may appear arduous, the path has been initiated by this partnership between Airbus and TASL which needs to deliver on its promises by timely production of 40 aircraft by TASL. India’s experience with the public sector has not met the expectations of the IAF and this experience, if executed successfully could be a precursor for further participation of the private sector in India, without whose support India would not be able to realise its dream of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
(The author, AVM Anil Golani is A Qualified Flying Instructor and an Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner. Published a number of articles in national newspapers, journals and magazines. Lectured in India and abroad on Military Leadership, Air Power, Maritime Air Operations and India’s Military Modernisation and Theatre Commands. Has co-edited two books, ‘Äir Power and Emerging Technologies’ and ‘Indian Air Force in its Centennial Decade’.)
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