India achieved a significant milestone in defence manufacturing on Wednesday as the first domestically produced Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft successfully completed its maiden test flight from the Final Assembly Line facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.
The successful flight marks a major step forward in the country’s efforts to strengthen indigenous aerospace production under the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. The aircraft is being manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in partnership with Airbus, making it the first military transport aircraft to be produced in India by the private sector on such a scale.
Airbus and the Indian Air Force described the maiden flight as a key milestone in the aircraft’s post-production testing programme. The test flight is expected to pave the way for the delivery of the first India-made C-295 to the IAF later this year.
The C-295 programme is part of a ₹21,935-crore contract signed between the Ministry of Defence and Airbus in 2021 for the procurement of 56 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force. Under the agreement, 16 aircraft are being supplied in fly-away condition from Spain, while the remaining 40 are being manufactured and assembled in India at the Vadodara facility.
The aircraft is intended to replace the IAF’s ageing Avro transport fleet and enhance its tactical airlift capabilities. The C-295 can be used for troop transport, logistics support, medical evacuation, disaster relief operations and a range of military missions.
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