In a significant milestone, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has officially received the first of 56 C295 transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space. This momentous occasion took place at Airbus's production facility in Seville, Spain, where the symbolic key to the C295 aircraft was handed over to Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, the Chief of Air Staff. The delivery of these aircraft is part of a massive project worth Rs 21,935 crores, which was finalized two years ago as a crucial step in modernizing India's air capabilities. According to the agreement between the IAF and Airbus, the aerospace company will provide the first 16 C-295 aircraft in a 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025. The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled in India by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL), following an industrial partnership between the two companies.
