On 13th September 2023, India received its first C-295 MW transport aircraft in a formal handing over ceremony in Seville, Spain.
- Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhari, attended the ceremony representing the Indian Air Force.
- Airbus formally handed over the C-295 MW aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
- India has finalized the acquisition of 56 Airbus C-295 aircraft to replace the existing Indian Air Force AVRO fleet.
- The contractual agreement specifies that Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from Seville, while the remaining 40 will be manufactured and assembled in India by Tata Advanced Systems through an industrial partnership.
- All the C-295 aircraft will be configured for transport and equipped with an indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite.
- The C-295 aircraft serves various purposes, including tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers and logistical operations to remote locations that may not be accessible to larger aircraft.
Q.: Recently, the Indian Air Force received a C-295 aircraft from Airbus. What type of aircraft is it?
a) Fighter jet
b) Transport
c) Space traveler
d) Trainer
Ans : b) Transport