Which company will manufacture the C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF)?

Answer: (Detailed Solution Below)

Detailed Solution:

The correct answer is “Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL)”.

PM Modi on October 28, 2024, inaugurated a plant in Vadodara, where Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) will manufacture the C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The facility will be the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India. The C295's manufacturing takes place at Airbus's plant in Spain. In September 2021, India signed a Rs 21,935 crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C295 aircraft to replace the IAF's ageing Avro-748 planes, which entered service in the early 1960s. Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in "fly-away" condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain within four years. The subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured by TASL in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. The Vadodara final assembly line (FAL) will produce over 85% of the C295 aircraft components domestically, excluding the engines.