Agencies
Ghaziabad, Sept 25: The induction of C-295 aircraft “heralds a new era for the Air Force” and this fleet will in times to come become the backbone of the force’s tactical lift capability, former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (retd) said on Monday.
The first C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day.
The induction ceremony took place at the Hindon airbase near Delhi. IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari was also present on the occasion.
Former IAF chief Bhadauria said this aircraft is “state-of-the-art” and “hugely capable”.
“It’s a great day for the IAF as it was one of the very critical requirement to replace the Avro fleet. And, from that perspective, this induction ceremony is heralding a new era for the Air Force in terms of the tactical airlift capability,” he told PTI at Hindon airbase.
This fleet will in times to come become the “backbone of tactical lift capability,” ACM Bhadauria added.
“And, more importantly with indigenous manufacturing in private sector, this would be a game changer for the private industry and for the Air Force in the long-run, from the point of view of maintenance, sustenance, etc.,” the former IAF chief said.
The incumbent IAF chief on September 13 had received the first of the 56 C-295 transport aircraft two years after India sealed a ₹ 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the jets to replace its ageing Avro-748 fleet.
The first of these medium tactical transport aircraft had landed in Vadodara on September 20, days after it was handed over to the IAF in the southern Spanish city of Seville.
Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
“This is very important as it is the first in terms of transport fleet, a transport aircraft getting manufactured in the country, and that too in the private sector. So, from that perspective too, from industry perspective, its a very big milestone, a huge milestone,” Bhadauria said.
“Otherwise, we were manufacturing trainers, fighters, helicopters, but transport of this class, this is the first,” he said.
Asked if the C-295 aircraft delivery in future will be in consonance with change in technology, he said, “The aircraft that we are inducting is a state-of the-art one, and in near future there is no worry from this perspective.”
The avionics, these kind of technology keep getting upgraded, Bhadauria said.
“In due course, in times to come, there will be a need to upgrade it further as per technology development, that is life cycle is each aircraft, it will happen in future,” he said. |
