ગુજરાતી
English
23 October 2024
In September 2021, India signed a deal of Rs 21,935 crore with European company Airbus Defense and Space (ADSpace) for the C-295 transport aircraft. The cost of one aircraft is Rs. 375 crore to India. India has its own MiG-29, is it not enough to defend the country?
The country will get the first C-295 Tactical Military Air Lift Plane. It is manufactured at the Seville plant in Spain. Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary went to Spain in September 2023 to bring it to India. Out of 56 aircraft, 16 will be in ready-to-fly condition by August 2025, the remaining 40 aircraft are to be manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems Company in Vadodara, Gujarat. The Cabinet Committee approved the purchase of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft by Airbus Defense and Space Agency.
Reason for purchase
The Indian Air Force has 56 Avro transport aircraft purchased 60 years ago. A request for proposal (RFP) was sent to the companies in May 2013. In May 2015, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) approved tenders for C-295 aircraft from Tata Group and Airbus.
Features of the aircraft
With its help, short take-off and landing can be done in case of emergency. It has the ability to fly from a distance of 320 meters. A runway of 670 meters is enough for landing. Therefore, it can be helpful for operations in hilly areas.
It has the ability to fly continuously for 11 hours. The length is 24.45 meters and the width is 8.65 meters. The wingspan is 25.81 meters. 12.69 meters long pressurized cabin. Can fly up to a height of 30 thousand feet.
The C-295 tactical military air lift aircraft is capable of lifting a payload of 7,050 KG. Can fly with 71 soldiers, 44 paratroopers, 24 stretchers or 5 cargo pallets.
There is a ramp door at the rear, which facilitates loading and unloading of goods in case of emergency.
2 Pratt & Whitney PW127 turbotroop engines.
Can easily operate at low speeds for tactical missions flying at low speeds like 110 knots.
Production of C-295 aircraft The first C-295 aircraft will be ready in Vadodara, Gujarat in 2026. 14,000 parts are manufactured at Airbus and Tata’s Hyderabad and Nagpur plants. Which will be sent to Vadodara for final assembling.
The company will hand over all 40 aircraft to the Air Force by 2031. After completing the delivery of 56 aircraft to the Indian Air Force, Airbus Defense and Space was allowed to sell and export aircraft manufactured in India to civil operators. This will create 15 thousand high-skilled jobs. 10 thousand people can get indirect employment.
Range: 1277 to 4587 km (depending on weight).
Speed: Maximum 482 km per hour.
Maximum height: 13,533 feet.
It has six hardpoints. That is, place to install weapons and defense systems. Three each under both wings. Or there can be an inboard pylon. In which 800 kg weapons can be installed.
Currently Hyderabad is its main assembly. Many parts will be assembled there. The Hyderabad facility will manufacture major parts of the aircraft. After this they will be sent to Vadodara. All C-295 aircraft will be finalized in Vadodara. In which the engine will be installed. Electronics will be arranged. After this it will be handed over to the Air Force. It is believed that aircraft number 32 will be indigenous.
It will replace the old HS748 Avros aircraft. Ukraine’s Antonov AN-32 will be replaced.
Foreign
According to Airbus, the C-295 operates easily in the forests of Brazil and the Colombian mountains in South America, the deserts of Algeria and Jordan in the Middle East, and the cold climate of Poland and Finland in Europe. This aircraft has also flown in military operations in Chad, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Other aircraft of the Air Force
Ilyushin II-76 (IL-II 76) The Indian Air Force has 17 aircraft from the Soviet Union since 1971.
It can also be converted into a tanker. It has four engines. It is flown by five people together. In India it is also called Gajraj.
152.10 feet long and 48.5 inches high. It flies at a maximum speed of 900 kilometers per hour. The range is 9300 km. It can reach a maximum height of 43 thousand feet. It requires a runway of at least 450 meters for landing. It has 2×23 mm guns. There are also two hardpoints for bombing. It has many types, which can carry weight in different capacities.
Globemaster
Boeing C-17 Globemaster…is one of the largest transport aircraft in the world. There are 11 in India. The first flight took place in 1991. So far 279 aircraft have been built. It is flown by three people together. It can carry weapons weighing 77,159 kg.
It can load 102 paratroopers or 134 soldiers or 54 stretchers or one Abrams tank or two armored vehicles. Its length is 174 feet. 55.1 feet tall. The maximum speed is 830 kilometers per hour. The maximum range can be from 4480 to 11,540 km. It depends on the weight. It reaches a maximum height of 45 thousand feet.
C-130 Super Hercules… is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The first flight took place in 1996. Since then this aircraft is being used in many countries. So far 500 aircraft have been built. Many variants have been made as per the requirement. It is flown by 3 people together. It can carry 92 passengers, 64 airborne troops, 6 pallets, 74 patients, 2-3 Humvees or armored vehicles.
C-130J is a Super Hercules aircraft.
It is 97.9 feet long and 38.10 feet wide
It is high. It can carry a weight of 19,051 kg.
It can fly at a maximum speed of 670 kilometers per hour. Its range is 3300 km. It can go up to a maximum of 28 thousand feet. If it is fully loaded. Otherwise it can go above 40 thousand feet.
Antonov AN-32… India has 103 Antonov-32 aircraft. It is a turboprop twin engine transport aircraft. Its first flight took place in 1976. Since then 373 aircraft have been built. There are many types of it. It is flown by four people together. It can carry 42 paratroopers or 50 passengers or 24 patients. Or the cargo weighs 6700 kg. The height of this 78 feet long aircraft is 28.8 feet. It can fly at a maximum speed of 530 kilometers per hour. The range is 2500 km. Can fly at a maximum height of 31,200 feet.
Hawker Siddeley HS 748… This transport plane is made in England. India has 57 aircraft. It is manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Its first flight took place in 1960. Since then 380 aircraft have been made. It has more than a dozen types. It is flown by three people together. It can fly with a maximum of 40-58 passengers. Its length is 67 feet and height is 24.10 feet. It can fly at a speed of 452 kilometers per hour. Its maximum range is 1715 km.
Dornier
This is a Dornier aircraft. The Air Force uses it in many ways.
Dornier 228… This is a utility aircraft. There are 53 in India. HAL has been instructed to make 6. Dornier aircraft have been used by the Indian Navy for many years. Now new generation aircraft are being ordered.
This is Dornier-228. It is flown by two people together. 19 people can sit in it. The maximum speed of this 54.4 feet long aircraft is 413 kilometers per hour. It can fly continuously for ten hours.
The maximum range is 2363 km. It can reach a maximum height of 25 thousand feet. Its specialty is that it can do short takeoff and short landing. This means that it needs 792 meters of runway to take off and only 451 meters of runway for landing. This is the reason why this aircraft is very popular among the Indian Army.
Apart from this, the Indian Air Force uses Boeing-777, Boeing-737 and Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft. It is used for VIP transport. Boeing-777 is India’s Air Force One, in which the President flies. (Google translation from Gujarati)
