PM Modi launches TATA Complex for manufacturing of C-295 aircraft in Gujarat
PTC News Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly launched the TATA Aircraft Complex for C-295 aircraft manufacturing in Vadodara, Gujarat on Monday.
The C-295 programme includes 56 aircraft, 16 of which are being delivered directly by the Spanish aircraft manufacturer Airbus, and the remaining 40 will be built at the facility, which is India's first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft.
It includes the full development of an ecosystem from manufacturing to assembly, testing and qualification, delivery, and maintenance of the aircraft throughout its lifecycle. In 2021, the Ministry of Defence inked a contract of Rs 21,935 crores with Airbus Defence and Space SA, Spain, to deliver 56 aircraft.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, PM Modi stated that aircraft made at the Vadodara facility will 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.
He also paid tribute to former Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata, who is known to have spearheaded the project. Tata died at the age of 86 earlier this month.
The C-295 is recognised as a superior aircraft capable of tactically transporting up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers as well as logistical operations to regions inaccessible to existing heavier aircraft.
The aircraft can cruise at 260 knots and operate from small runways. It can also land successfully on unpaved, soft, sandy, or grass airstrips.
The aircraft, called "robust and reliable," has a flight endurance of up to 11 hours and can conduct multi-role operations in all weather situations.
Aside from disaster relief, it can conduct day and night combat missions from the desert to maritime environments.
It can serve as a flying intensive care unit, with full medical evacuation capabilities. It can refuel fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in the air.
The C-295 includes a rear ramp door for rapid response and paradropping of personnel and cargo. Another advantage is the ability to take off and land quickly from semi-prepared surfaces.
All 56 aircraft under the arrangement will also be equipped with an indigenous electronic warfare suite developed by Indian DPSUs Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
The C295, equipped with retractable landing gear and an unobstructed 12.69-meter-long pressurised cabin, can cruise at heights of up to 30,000 feet while maintaining good low-level flight characteristics.
- PTC NEWS
