Airbus Defence and Space has officially delivered the initial batch of 56 C295 aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF), ready for operational use as they gradually replace the aging Avros-748 fleet.
The C295, configured for transport and equipped with a domestically developed electronic warfare suite, is set to depart from Airbus' production facility in Seville, Spain, for its destination in Delhi, India, in the coming days. The flight will be piloted by a joint crew comprising members from the IAF and Airbus.
The deal was signed with India just two years ago, which marked the largest order in the history of the C295.
The initial batch of 16 C295s out of the total 56 will be assembled at the San Pablo Sur facility in Seville, Spain. The second aircraft is scheduled for delivery in May 2024, followed by the successive rollout of 14 aircraft at a rate of one per month until August 2025.