Rajnath to induct C-295 helicopter into IAF on Sep 25

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will formally induct the first C-295 helicopter into Indian Air Force at Hindon Air Base in Uttar Pradesh on Sep 25, 2023.

The induction of the helicopter will be a big boost to the IAF’s combat prowess.

Earlier, Indian Air Force received the first of the 56 C295 aircraft, 40 of which will be manufactured in India as part of a partnership between European aviation major Airbus and TATA. This is the first time an Indian private company will manufacture an aircraft.

The first aircraft was received by Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhary in Spain’s Seville, where Airbus has a production facility. It will now be flown back to India and a formal induction ceremony will be held at the Hindon air base in Ghaziabad on September 25.

Capable of carrying up to nine tonnes of payload or as many as 71 troops at a maximum cruise speed of about 480 kilometre, the C295 can also be used for air-to-air refuelling of choppers and fixed-wing aircraft. Unlike the Avro, the C295 has a rear ramp for loading and unloading — which will serve as a boon for the IAF when dealing with larger equipment.

Fitted with a retractable landing gear and an unobstructed 12.69-meter-long pressurised cabin, the C295 cruises at altitudes up to 30,000 ft. It can operate from short (no longer than 670 m/2,200 ft), soft, rough and unprepared airstrips, unlike the Avro. In addition, it can also carry out low-level flight, flying as slow as 110 knots.

Besides essentially being a transport aircraft, it can also be modified for intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance with a multi-mission radar that can be weaponised to conduct effective close air support operations.

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