With the induction of second C-295 aircraft into No. 11 Squadron (Rhinos) based at Vadodra (Baroda) in Gujarat in May this year, the MTA (Medium Transport Aircraft) programme is back on track. The MTA programme of the Indian Air Force, IAF, envisages induction of 56 C-295 aircraft as a replacement of half a century old Hawker Siddeley Avro 748 transport aircraft that are still being used for myriad tasks including the Communication Flights (Com Flights) of various commands of the IAF.
The first Airbus C-295 aircraft was formally inducted into the IAF on 25 Sep 2023 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Hindan Air Force Base, Ghaziabad near Delhi.
While the first 16 of the 56 contracted aircraft are being delivered to the IAF in a ‘Fly Away’ condition, from Airbus Seville factory in Spain @ one aircraft per month until August 2025, the remaining 40 would be manufactured in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) at their facility in Vadodra, the same place where the first squadron, as mentioned earlier, is based.
The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad. These parts will be shipped to the Vadovara FAL (Final Assembly Line), which is expected to be operational by November 2024. The first ‘Make in India’ C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara FAL in September 2026 in what will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry; the final aircraft is expected to be delivered to the IAF by August 2031.
Needless to say that the C-295 would be a worthy replacement to the Avro 748 in terms of load carrying capacity, speed and ease of loading.
Its other main attribute would be the capability to operate from high-altitude airfields, a significant requirement for our defence forces.
The Avro 748, as is well known, is severely handicapped for high-altitude operations. As a matter of fact, they are not even permitted to operate from Leh airfield, which, though located just above 3 km height, is a full-fledged airfield. On the other hand, the C-295 can negotiate higher and even primitive airfields called ALGs (Advanced Landing Grounds) such as DBO (Daulat Beg Oldie) located above 5 km height in the remote Aksai Chin region with ease.
The C-295 acquisition has ensured that IAF can reach all the existing remote/high altitude ALGs. It would also give IAF the capability of serving new ALGs which may be located in more remote and higher altitude areas in the future.
Notably, replacing the Avro 748 is not be the only requirement for the IAF. It needs to start thinking in terms of replacing its An-32 fleet also which has gone through mid-life upgrade of some sorts (largely in the field of avionics) but would come up for replacement when these aircraft complete their service life.
The C-295 with its larger payload capability and other refinements is a deserving replacement for the An 32 aircraft. Therefore, building just 40 C-295s in the Vadodra facility may not be end of the story and the numbers to be built could go up substantially to replace the existing 100 plus An-32 aircraft of the IAF.
India could also become a hub in Asia for producing the aircraft for friendly countries in the region in collaboration with Airbus.
The production of C-295 aircraft by TASL would usher in two distinct features for aircraft manufacturing in India. One, it would be the first time a military aircraft would be produced by a civilian entity in India and secondly, it would an Airbus aircraft from Europe with advanced technologies.
The C-295 also has the potential to be used as a civilian regional airliner and should that happen, it could prove to be the only airliner with rear loading for the passengers. If that happens, the aircraft’s production lines at TASL would be occupied for years to come.
– Air Marshal VK ‘Jimmy’ Bhatia (Retd)
