Least 2021 India to sign $2.5-billion contract for 56 transport planes for IAF

Least 2021 India to sign $2.5-billion contract for 56 transport planes for IAF India will sign a $2.5-billion contract his year for the supply of 56 medium transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force to replace its fleet of aging Avro-748 planes, officials familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

Airbus Defence and Space and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) will jointly execute the project to equip the air force with 56 C-295 transport aircraft under the Make-in-India initiative in the aerospace sector.

Under the contract, Airbus will supply the first 16 aircraft in flyaway condition while the remaining 40 will be assembled in India by TASL, the officials said.

The procurement of 56 C-295 from Airbus with participation of an Indian production agency for the manufacture of 40 aircraft (out of total 56) in India is at financial approval stage and the contract is likely to be signed in the near future, the defence ministry said in its year-end review.

“The case is first of its kind which envisages participation of private companies and would prove to be a boost for our defence industry,” the ministry said.

While the C-295s are meant to replace the Avro-748 transport planes, the new aircraft will also be suitable for demanding roles that the AN-32 currently undertakes, as previously reported by Hindustan Times.

The Avro-748 entered service in the early 1960s and has been long due for replacement, said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

“The replacement C-295 project has been in the works for the past eight years and has spawned a new term --- the Avro model --- in the acquisition field due the unique path adopted. Actually, there is an acquisition fatigue that has crept in, a state that needs to be broken by actually inducting the aircraft that is sorely required by the IAF. The C-295 would also be the natural replacement for AN-32s which too would be getting phased out soon,” Bahadur said.

The first 16 planes will be supplied in two years, and the deliveries of the 40 locally-assembled ones will be spread over an additional eight years. The aircraft can operate from short, unprepared airstrips and carry out a variety of missions in all-weather conditions.

The contract for buying 83 LCA Mk 1A aircraft for the IAF from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is also likely to be signed soon after approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security, the ministry said its review. Last March, the defence ministry gave a green light to the purchase of 83 advanced Tejas jets from HAL. The deal is expected to be worth Rs 38,000 crore.

The deal for the 83 Mk-1A jets will take the total number of Tejas variants ordered to 123.

The 40 LCAs already ordered by the IAF are in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations. The LCA Mk-1A will come with additional improvements over the FOC aircraft, making it the most advanced Tejas variant so far.

The Mk-1A variant is expected to come with digital radar warning receivers, external self-protection jammer pods, active electronically scanned array radar, advanced beyond-visual-range missiles and significantly improved maintainability.

India is also likely to sign a deal with Israel for additional Harop (P-IV) loitering weapon systems in the first quarter of 2021, the year-end review said. The Harop is designed to locate and attack high-value targets with precision. The weapon (also known as a suicide drone) tracks the target, dives on to it and detonates the warhead on impact, according to its maker Israel Aerospace Industries.

A statue of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar installed on government land without permission was removed by the administration and 24 people, including the district unit head and the general secretary of the Bhim Army, were arrested in this connection, police said on Tuesday.

Tension had prevailed in Umra village under the Aurai police station area after a statue of Ambedkar, one of the principal architects of the Indian Constitution and Dalit icon, was installed on the gram samaj land identified by the village head for building a public toilet, they said.

On Sunday night, a large number of people belonging to the Dalit community had gathered during a programme and installed a four-feet-tall statue of Ambedkar on the land, police said.

Police said mild force was used to disperse the people guarding the statue Monday night.

Srikant Rai, Station House Officer of Kotwali police station, said on information about the removal of the statue, district unit head of Bhim Army Saheb Saurabh and general secretary Vinod Gautam with hundreds of supporters tried to disrupt traffic near the Tehsil campus but were chased away by policemen.

As many as 20 people, including the two Bhim Army office bearers, were arrested, Rai said, adding additional police and Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed in the village to maintain law and order.

The lekhpal (a land revenue official) of the area has filed a case against 25 people for raising a structure on government land without permission, officials had said.

All people involved in installing the statue are being identified, they had said. 

India will sign a $2.5-billion agreement his year for the inventory of 56 medium vehicle airplane to the Indian Air Force to supplant its armada of maturing Avro-748 planes, authorities acquainted with the improvement said on Tuesday. 

Airbus Defense and Space and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) will mutually execute the venture to outfit the aviation based armed forces with 56 C-295 vehicle airplane under the Make-in-India activity in the aviation area. 

Under the agreement, Airbus will supply the initial 16 airplane in flyaway condition while the excess 40 will be collected in India by TASL, the authorities said. 

The acquisition of 56 C-295 from Airbus with support of an Indian creation organization for the assembling of 40 airplane (out of complete 56) in India is at monetary endorsement stage and the agreement is probably going to be endorsed soon, the protection service said in its year-end survey. 

"The case is first of its sort which imagines cooperation of privately owned businesses and would end up being a lift for our safeguard industry," the service said. 

While the C-295s are intended to supplant the Avro-748 vehicle planes, the new airplane will likewise be reasonable for requesting jobs that the AN-32 as of now embraces, as recently detailed by Hindustan Times. 

The Avro-748 entered administration in the mid 1960s and has been long due for substitution, said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), extra chief general, Center for Air Power Studies. 

"The substitution C-295 task has been in progress for as long as eight years and has generated another term - the Avro model - in the obtaining field due the remarkable way received. All things considered, there is a procurement weariness that has sneaked in, an express that should be broken by really accepting the airplane that is painfully needed by the IAF. The C-295 would likewise be the common trade for AN-32s which too would get eliminated soon," Bahadur said.