Modi, Spanish PM to unveil Tata-Airbus unit

It will be the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India, the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on October 28 will jointly inaugurate the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara for manufacturing the C-295 transport aircraft, a watershed in the country’s private sector that will produce a military plane for the first time.

PM Narendra Modi meets Spain PM Pedro Sánchez (File image)(ANI)

It will be the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India, the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

“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 PMO said.

In September 2021, the defence ministry signed a ₹21,935-crore contract with Airbus for 56 planes to boost self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus are jointly executing the programme. The contract requires the European plane maker to deliver 16 C-295s in flyaway condition, while the rest will be assembled in Vadodara.

Airbus has already delivered six C-295s to the Indian Air Force, while the seventh aircraft is expected to enter service by the year-end, HT has learnt. IAF inducted its first C-295 in September 2023.

The last of the 16 flyaway aircraft will be delivered to IAF by August 2025, while the first made-in-India C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 by August 2031.

In October 2022, Modi laid the foundation stone of the Vadodara facility. IAF will be the world’s largest operator of the C-295.

The planes will boost the air force’s logistics capabilities to meet mission requirements in forward areas, including those near the contested border with China, and replace its ageing fleet of Avro transport aircraft that entered service in the early 1960s.

Apart from Tatas, leading defence public sectors units such as Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), as well as micro, small and medium enterprises, will contribute to the programme, the PMO said.

All 56 aircraft will be fitted with the indigenous electronic warfare suite developed by BEL and BDL. While BEL is supplying the radar warning receiver and the missile approach warning system, BDL is providing the countermeasure dispensing system.

The C295 contract covers performance-based logistics support for five years, supply of spares across 10 operating bases for 10 years, ground support and test equipment, and training.

As part of the C-295 project, the manufacturing of more than 13,000 parts, 4,600 sub-assemblies and all major component assemblies will be carried out in the country. To be sure, equipment such as engines, landing gear and avionics will be provided by Airbus, and integrated on the aircraft. The tactical airlifter is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW127G turboprop engines.

The aircraft can carry up to nine tonnes of payload or 71 personnel or 45 paratroopers and has a maximum speed of 480 kmph. It can also operate from short or unprepared airstrips and has a rear ramp for para-dropping troops and cargo.

Also, Airbus Helicopters has shortlisted eight locations in India for setting up a production line for the H125 chopper, the fourth such facility in the world, in partnership with TASL, and the company has projected a demand for 500 helicopters in the country and south Asia during the next 20 years. The single-engine H125’s final assembly line in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector.

The first H125 is expected to roll out of an Indian facility in 2026. These helicopters are currently produced only in France, the US and Brazil. In India, TASL will handle major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, flight controls, hydraulic circuits, fuel systems and the engine.