India has formalised the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force legacy AVRO fleet.
Under the contractual agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain.
The subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by the Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
“This contract will support the further development of India’s aerospace ecosystem, bringing investment and 15,000 skilled direct jobs and 10,000 indirect positions over the coming 10 years,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
“The C295 has proven again as the segment leader, and with the addition of India as a new operator, the type will enlarge its footprint even more, not only on the operational aspects but on its own industrial and technological development.”
The first 16 aircraft will be delivered over four years after the contract implementation. All the IAF C295s will be handed over in transport configuration and equipped with an indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite.
Sukaran Singh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Advanced Systems Limited, said:
“This is a moment of pride for Tatas and a milestone for the Indian military manufacturing ecosystem. For the first time, an Indian private company will be wholly manufacturing an aircraft in India. This endeavour demonstrates Tata Advanced Systems’ capabilities as a defence manufacturer to build globally competitive complex platforms in India.”
What can go wrong?
Everything?
Anything?
I suppose the difference is that India still have an old style ‘Biggles’ approach to military aviation safety – so even if the indigenous bits don’t integrate properly then it will be alright-on-the-night.
How long do you think before the bribery investigation starts?
56! Puts our numbers to Shame. Could the RAF do with some of these??
too small if the RAF saying HERCS are now too small for air transport, its a strange order, Royal Jordain just returned there’s for being to small. RAF unless there delivering fuel bladders to Tesco forecourts they are worthless. smells of a backhand contract
The Indians have a huge mountainous frontier, I imagine this aircraft would be useful to move small groups of lightly equipped troops around that huge region.
Agree, especially as India has to deal with assorted territorial claims along both the Chinese and Pakistani borders.
Nope. Unless they were a squadrons worth unmarked and used by SIS and SF for clandestine roles using small teams. In which case there are plenty charters available.
Their cargo capacity must be limited compared to Atlas Herc C17!
This is true 8 or 9 tons max payload, but better short field performance which is important in India , particularly the frontier region. I’m surprised the IAF did not order more c130j though – 12 seems light.
It would be better to retain the c130 , even a dozen would be of value
Agreed. Worst cut of ISR 2020 for me, and totally flying against the spin from MoD CDS CGS about a more agile, rapidly deployed and forward deployed military.
And we have lots of light Elite units in our Military that need just that kind of Tactical plane. I really hope the decisions reversed somehow. Heck, scrap something else if we have to…but 14 isnt exactly going to break the bank now is it…
Yeah I agree, let’s hope the decision is reversed..but we still have two A400 to be delivered to RAF and 4 cut from order I think. I hope they don’t think those two new ones once delivered make up for the 14 c130js we have left being sold off cheap as usual…
Anyone know how many Hercs we did have and how many we sold or scrapped or have stored? I think 4 shorter older versions went to Bangladesh and We lost a j version in a SF mission and replaced it with one of our shorter versions I think.
And what can hercs do that Atlas can’t? Surely better tactically for SF missions ect but what else?
Re. Hercs – I might be able to help.
66 CMk 1 aircraft were ordered initially, way back in the day.
13 were withdrawn as part of cuts around 1975. These were young airframes, as the first flight with the RAF was in 1966.
30 were converted to C.Mk3 standard from the late 1970s onwards. 6 were converted to tankers to help support operations in the aftermath of the Falklands War.
29 C.Mk1/3 aircraft remained in service, with the number gradually falling due to accidents or airframes being retired. This continued until their final retirement in 2013.
25 airframes were ordered to replace the airframes that weren’t upgraded or were retired due to attrition. This order included 10 C-130J models and 15 C-130J-30 models. Two of the latter were lost on operations, and a shorter C-130J was retained to replace it (the shorter model was also criminally scrapped as part of the last review).
That brings us to maybe ~54 Hercs active in the early 2000s.
A400M was always meant to be the replacement for the Hercs and you could argue that the 8 C-17 airframes also replace some of the ‘lost’ Herc numbers. But A400M was delayed more than once, meaning that Hercs were retained.
Prior to 2015, it appears the original plan was to see the C-130J/C-130J-30 airframes as replacements for historical airframes, with A400m taking over from legacy airframes still in service. This would have meant 25 A400M and 23-25 C-130 variants in service. Post-2015, it appears the plan has flipped: C-130J/C-130J-30 are seen as replacements for the C1/C3 models that were withdrawn in 2013, while A400M is seen as a replacement for THEM.
Realistically, we’re looking at 22 A400m and 8 C-17 as replacements for a fleet of 54-66 Hercs, depending on what you go off. Even then, you could argue that the C-17 is just a replacement for historical cuts in itself.
I wish we’d order the extra three A400m airframes we backed away from!
excellent summary Lusty – really interesting, thank you!
I hoped the MOD would keep half the C13OJ fleet, which I seem to recall was recommend in the 2015 review – real shame.
Thanks! It’s a shame indeed (late reply I know).
cheers Mate. keep up the good work!
End of an era in IAF it seems as the C295 replaces the HS 748 – the last Avro aircraft produced. At least they kept them running for decades. Bit like the B25 Liberator I saw in Delhi – operated until 1968. Think Uk was using Victors and Vulcans by then 😫.
Shame Hawker Sidley couldn’t be started back up and Planes designed and made in the UK again, it’s crazy how the UK has the 4th largest Aero industry but doesn’t really build any whole planes, we build wings, engines, landing gear, cockpit controls, almost everything we need to build planes…
It amazes me just where India gets all the money for defence projects such as this… and to think that until very recently, we were giving them foreign aid!
Admittedly, they are non too chummy with the Chinese on one side and there has been the odd punch up between the two recently (which if reports are accurate, the Indians came off worse) and Pakistan on the other side – again, non too chummy and non too impressive results in their recent skirmishes…
We still give iNDIA hundreds of millions, not just UK government but UK charity’s, India has tens of millions of homeless starving children who dont go to school ect..
But indians say indias a modern first world country yeah right…
India try’s so hard to look good and strong and show the world its a modern country, they try to show off because it wants to be taken seriously. But no one really takes India seriously. When they have tens of millions starving homeless children alone on the streets…
Have you ever been on one of their dual carriageways in a taxi. Rather be shot at by the Taliban!
had a similar experience in Thailand. 110km in a 50 km zone!
White knuckles and much perspiring (and it ain’t the humidity).
Wife on the cusp of being sick .Great start to our holiday!
Canada just bought 16 of them for SAR and equipped with the WESCAM EO/IR and will operate with 2 sensor operators. Renamed the Kingfisher