Rs 21K-cr deal to buy 56 military planes

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 8

The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday approved the procurement of 56 military transport aircraft from European manufacturer Airbus at a cost of nearly Rs 21,000 crore ($2.8 billion).

The C-295MW plane is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The aircraft has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para-dropping of troops and cargo.

Will replace IAF’s Avro

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• All 56 aircraft to be installed with indigenous electronic warfare suite
• Will have 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology

Tata-Airbus project

• 16 planes in flyaway condition to be delivered by Airbus in 48 months
• 40 to be made in India by Tata Consortium within 10 years

Sixteen of the aircraft will be delivered in a flyaway condition from the Airbus unit in Spain within 48 months of signing of the contract. The remaining 40 will be manufactured in India by Tata Consortium within 10 years of signing of the contract.

This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. All 56 aircraft will be installed with indigenous electronic warfare suite.

A large number of parts, sub-assemblies and major component assemblies of aero structure are scheduled to be manufactured in India. The programme will act as a catalyst in employment generation in the aerospace ecosystem of the country and is expected to generate 600 highly skilled jobs directly, over 3,000 indirect jobs and an additional 3,000 medium skill employment opportunities with more than 42.5 lakh man hours of work within the aerospace and defence sector of India, the Ministry of Defence claimed.