India Deepens Defence Ties with Airbus, Boosting Indigenous Manufacturing in New C-295MW Deal

India is significantly expanding its fleet of C-295MW transport aircraft, solidifying its strategic partnership with Airbus Defence and Space while prioritizing domestic production.

The Indian government is in advanced talks to acquire at least 12 more of these versatile aircraft, with a strong emphasis on maximizing indigenous content. This move underscores India's commitment to self-reliance in defence manufacturing and its ambition to become a global aerospace hub.

This latest acquisition builds upon a landmark deal inked in 2021 for 56 C-295MW aircraft, marking India's first major private sector venture into military aircraft manufacturing. Under this agreement, 16 aircraft will be delivered by Airbus from Spain, while the remaining 40 will be manufactured in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in Vadodara, Gujarat. This initiative has already begun to catalyze the growth of India's aerospace ecosystem, fostering technological advancement and creating numerous skilled jobs.

Now, India aims to further leverage this partnership by pushing for even greater indigenous content in the new order. The target is to achieve 78% indigenous components for the additional 12 aircraft, a significant increase that reflects the growing capabilities of the Indian aerospace industry.

The C-295MW, a modern tactical transport aircraft, is capable of carrying troops, cargo, and paratroopers, making it a valuable asset for the Indian Air Force. Its ability to operate from short and unprepared airstrips enhances its utility in diverse operational environments, including remote border regions.

This procurement not only strengthens India's military capabilities but also aligns with the nation's broader "Make in India" initiative, which seeks to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports. The C-295MW program serves as a prime example of how strategic partnerships can drive both defence modernization and industrial growth, positioning India as a key player in the global aerospace arena.

 

[sanket]

Dassault should learn From This , competition is on if French want to win have to share ToT plus Local Production & Eco-system

 

[abhinav srivastava]

Its assembled C-295 not indigenous.

 

[Abs29]

Its assembled C-295 not indigenous.

Almost all aircraft are assembled including Airbus, Embraer, ATR, Dornier, SaaB, and Boeing. No aircraft OEM manufactures all individual components and sources from suppliers dispersed all over the world.

 

[Dredd]

Its assembled C-295 not indigenous.

it will have upto 75% local content , far higher than LCH, LCA or current Ak203

 

[ASHOK CARROL]

keeping the requirements of BSF, ITBP, SFF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ASSAM Rifles, coastguard, customs, NSG, NIA, RAW, IB, army corp, division and brigade air requirements a production run of over 150-200 aircraft be planned and total transfer of technology taken over including manufacture of the engines, avionics and airframes from the french Spanish firms.

 

[GolGappa]

Its assembled C-295 not indigenous.

None of platforms in world are 100% indegenious. Even Russia have to use Chips designed in US made in china.

 

[INDIAN]

Don't call it indigenous come on..

 

[Kira]

Dassault should learn From This , competition is on if French want to win have to share ToT plus Local Production & Eco-system

Perhaps, but a cargo aircraft is way less sophisticated and less pricey than an advanced fighter jet with a lot of sophisticated components and subsystems.
In design, a cargo plane is usually a civilian aircraft with a cargo bay at the back at its simplest,a fighter jet is a whole different beast.

 

[Sandeep]

Don't call it indigenous come on..

Not 100% indigenous but a high amount is. That number will increase further while production begins and start to replace any foreign parts or technology with indigenous products.

 

[Sandeep]

These planes are supposed to be very good and reliable. We should definitely use these to replace the old Antonov 32 planes that we currently use as the technology, performance and capabilities are much better. There is also a large variety that we can use this plane as AWACS, fire fighter, tanker etc.

 

[Anant]

These planes are supposed to be very good and reliable. We should definitely use these to replace the old Antonov 32 planes that we currently use as the technology, performance and capabilities are much better. There is also a large variety that we can use this plane as AWACS, fire fighter, tanker etc.

No, the C295 would be a pretty terrible tanker. It already has a very low payload capacity. Other roles, yes. As for your replacement proposal, the An-32 fleet should ideally be replaced by a mix of C295s and whatever aircraft wins the MTA tender.

 

[Sandeep]

No, the C295 would be a pretty terrible tanker. It already has a very low payload capacity. Other roles, yes. As for your replacement proposal, the An-32 fleet should ideally be replaced by a mix of C295s and whatever aircraft wins the MTA tender.

It can be a useful tanker if they only need to refuel a small number of jets or helicopters like for training purposes or special short missions. Flying a large tanker all of the time for a small number of around 6-12 jets will increase the flight costs unnecessarily so it’s always good to have a variety of different size tankers that suits the mission and purpose.

 

[Abs29]

No, the C295 would be a pretty terrible tanker. It already has a very low payload capacity. Other roles, yes. As for your replacement proposal, the An-32 fleet should ideally be replaced by a mix of C295s and whatever aircraft wins the MTA tender.

A tanker modification variant already exists, so does a AEWC platform. It will make a very good tactical refueling aircraft

 

[Anant]

A tanker modification variant already exists, so does a AEWC platform. It will make a very good tactical refueling aircraft

I am not saying the variant doesn't exist. However, it is a pretty sub-optimal aerial tanker. The reason for that is payload and endurance.

By Airbus' own account, the KC-295 can carry some 5 tons of fuel. That is ridiculously low. For reference, the maximum internal fuel capacities of the IAF's jets are as follows: Tejas (2.46 tons), Rafale (4.4 to 4.7 tons), Mirage 2000 (3.18 tons), Jaguar (3.38 tons), MiG-29 (3.5 tons), and Su-30MKI (9.65 tons).

You can see from the numbers that a full KC-395 can service, at best, two aircraft unless used to just deliver small amounts as emergency or range extension fuel.

The other problem is the endurance of the aircraft. At normal payload, the aircraft has a range of around 1,550 km and an endurance at range of just 45 minutes. That essentially means the fighters have to be practically on station for refueling when the KC-295 arrives, which isn't practical.

Comparable statistics for other refuelers show a stark contrast: The KC-130 has a maximum payload of some 25 tons, and can fly some 3,000 km with a normal payload, with an endurance at range of around 3 hours. The A400M manages 35 tons of fuel, has a range of some 5,000 km, and can remain for 3 hours at station, and so on.