India’s first indigenously developed C-295 military transport aircraft successfully completed its first test flight on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said on Wednesday. This achievement is part of efforts to make the Indian defense sector more self-reliant.
The Indian Air Force is in the process of purchasing a total of 56 C-295 transport aircraft at a cost of Rs 21,935 crore. Under the deal, defense sector leader Tata Advanced Systems Ltd in collaboration with Airbus will add 40 aircraft to its manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.
Indian Air Force congratulates the entire team behind the successful flight of the first Indian-made C-295 aircraft. “This achievement reinforces India’s growing aviation and space technology capabilities and clearly reflects the Indian Air Force’s commitment to building indigenous defense capabilities under the dream of a self-reliant India,” the Air Force said in a statement in June.
Currently, production and assembly of the remaining aircraft at the Vadodara project is progressing as planned, along with further technical testing of the aircraft, which will further strengthen the Indian defense system in the future.