India’s first domestically assembled Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft appears close to rollout at the Tata-Airbus final assembly facility in Gujarat. The aircraft is part of a $2.5-billion contract signed in 2021 for 56 C-295 transports intended to replace the Indian Air Force’s aging Avro fleet. Airbus has already delivered the first 16 aircraft from Spain, while the remaining 40 are being assembled in India in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems. The project marks a major milestone for India’s “Make in India” defense initiative, representing the first time a private Indian company has manufactured a military aircraft domestically. Beyond aircraft production, the program has significantly expanded India’s aerospace supply chain, with thousands of locally manufactured components supporting the effort. The C-295 platform is designed for troop transport, logistics, medical evacuation, and special operations missions, offering short takeoff and landing performance for operations from rugged airstrips.
