India has completed assembly of its first C-295 military transport aircraft
India has completed assembly of the first C-295 military transport aircraft, intended for the country's Air Force. The aircraft is already being prepared for its first test flight.
This was reported by the Indian Air Force.
Production is being carried out as part of a joint program between the Indian company Tata Advanced Systems Limited and the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
India’s defense ministry called the event an “important step” in the development of the country’s aerospace industry and the strengthening of its technological self-sufficiency. The presentation was originally scheduled for September, but work was completed ahead of schedule.
The program calls for the delivery of 56 C-295 aircraft:
- 16 have already been manufactured at the Airbus plant in Spain;
- 40 are being assembled at a facility in Vadodara, India.
The last of the previously delivered aircraft was handed over in August 2025.
The C-295 is gradually replacing the aging fleet of Avro 748 transport aircraft, which are still in service. The upgrade is scheduled to be fully completed by 2031.
The C-295, developed in the 1990s, has the following capabilities:
- speed up to 482 km/h;
- payload capacity of up to 9.3 tons;
- a range of up to 1,300 km.
It is also capable of operating from unpaved runways, making it suitable for use in challenging military conditions.
Previously, the Argentine Air Force officially retired the legendary American A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft.
