India receives final batch of C-295 military aircraft from Spain

India has received the final batch of 16 Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft, marking a significant upgrade to its defence capabilities. The handover took place on Saturday in Seville, Spain, with Indian Ambassador Dinesh K Patnaik and senior Indian Air Force officials in attendance. The delivery came two months ahead of schedule at Airbus’s Seville assembly line, marks an important milestone in strengthening India’s defence capabilities," as confirmed by the Embassy of India in Madrid on X.
The C-295, a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology, is set to replace the ageing Avro aircraft of the IAF. The aircraft, with a flight endurance of up to 11 hours, is a versatile and efficient tactical transport aircraft. India signed a contract with Airbus Defence & Space, Spain, for acquisition of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for IAF in Sep 2021.  
In October 2024, Prime Ministers Pedro Sanchez and Narendra Modi launched the TATA Aircraft Complex(TASL) in Vadodara, Gujarat, where 40 additional C-295s will be manufactured. A total of 56 aircraft will be delivered under the programme, of which 16 were to be delivered directly by Airbus from Spain, and the remaining 40 will be manufactured in India. TASL is responsible for making these 40 aircraft in India.This facility becomes the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India.