PM Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez at the TATA Aircraft Complex
Vadodara:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez in Gujarat’s Vadodara.
A total of 56 aircraft are there under the C-295 programme, of which 16 are being delivered directly by the aircraft manufacturing company Airbus from Spain, and the remaining 40 will be built at the facility, which is the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India.
It will involve the full development of a complete ecosystem from the manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft. The Ministry of Defence in 2021 signed a Rs 21,935-crore contract with Airbus Defense and Space SA, Spain for the supply of 56 aircraft.
#WATCH | Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft at TATA advanced systems limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara
A total of 56 aircraft are there… pic.twitter.com/4jc2YTx2EC
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2024
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, PM Modi said the aircraft manufactured at the Vadodara facility will also be exported in the future.
“The Tata-Airbus manufacturing facility will strengthen the India-Spain relations and the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ mission,” PM Modi, who laid the foundation stone of the FAL plant of C-295 aircraft in Vadodara in October 2022, said.
He also paid tribute to former Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata, who is said to be the brains behind the project. Mr Tata died at the age of 86 earlier this month.
“Recently, we lost the country’s great son Ratan Tata ji. If he had been among us today, he would have been happy, but wherever his soul is, he would be happy,” he said.
Speaking at the inauguration of the C-295 Aircraft facility in Vadodara. It reinforces India’s position as a trusted partner in global aerospace manufacturing.https://t.co/VvuC5izfPM
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 28, 2024
At the event, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran said the project was originally conceived by Ratan Tata in 2012.
“I will fail in my duty if I forget to mention that this project was originally conceived more than a decade ago, in 2012, by the then Tata Sons Chairman, Ratan Tata ji, who led the whole concept to build a relationship with Airbus and created this partnership with Airbus and laid the foundation stone for this opportunity. So, I would like to remember him for his visionary leadership in this very path-breaking initiative,” he said.
Why C-295 Aircraft Is A Game-Changer
The C-295 is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the Indian Air Force’s ageing Avro-748 planes. The C-295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft.
The aircraft, called “robust and reliable”, with a flight endurance of up to 11 hours, can carry out multi-role operations under all weather conditions.
It can routinely operate day as well as night combat missions from desert to maritime environments.
A game changer for #IAF and #AatmanirbhartainDefence–
Tata & @AirbusDefence to manufacture C-295MW transport aircraft in India.
What makes the aircraft special? Check out here⬇️@rajnathsingh@IAF_MCC@drajaykumar_ias@DefProdnIndia@TataCompanies#IAFTransportAircraftpic.twitter.com/W30131dcVc— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) October 29, 2022
The C-295 has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para-dropping of troops and cargo. Short take-off/land from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features.
All 56 aircraft under the agreement will also be fitted with an indigenous Electronic Warfare suite manufactured by Indian DPSUs – Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.