Page 22 - ADT JANUARY 2021 Online Magazine

The C-295 was previously produced by
Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA,) a
Spanish aircraft manufacturer that is now part
of Airbus Defence and Space. The multi-role
transport aircraft, which can carry a maximum
payload of 9.25 tonnes, can take off and land
at a wider variety of airfields. It has a range of [ PROCUREMENTS ]
2,000 nautical miles when carrying 6 tonnes; it
can carry up to 71 troops. According to Airbus,
a total of 209 C295 aircraft have been ordered
by 28 countries across the world.

Soaring in India
Meanwhile, there are indications that the Indian
Navy has expressed interest in purchasing
Sharing made MiG-29K Fulcrums. In December,
Super Hornets to complement its Russian-
Boeing’s India division released footage of
a F/A-18E fighter jet launching off a ski-jump
ramp in a demo for the service. The exercise
was intended to demonstrate the aircraft’s suit-
the Spoils ability for India’s aircraft carriers. “Our F/A-18
Super Hornet demonstrates the ability to oper-
ate from Indian Navy aircraft carriers during
its successful and safe launch from a ski-jump
ramp,” the company said in its Twitter post.

“THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL AND
BOTH AIRBUS AND BOEING LOOK SET TO SIGN SAFE LAUNCH OF THE F/A-18
MAJOR DEFENCE DEALS WITH INDIA, GIVING SUPER HORNET FROM A SKI-
MOMENTUM TO THE “MAKE IN INDIA” INITIATIVE JUMP BEGINS THE VALIDATION
PROCESS TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY
FROM INDIAN NAVY AIRCRAFT
Arun Sivasankaran CARRIERS,” Ankur Kanaglekar, Head India
Fighters Sales, Boeing Defense, Space and
Airbus Defence is close to clinching a major Indian contact while Security.
Boeing is set to make further inroads into the country’s defence
market. In a major fillip to the Indian Government’s “Make in If the deal materializes, the Super Hornets will
India” initiative, Airbus Defence and Space is partnering with Tata be sustained in India throughout the lifecycle
Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to supply 56 C295 tactical of the aircraft, in partnership with the Indian
transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force. The deal is worth US$2.5 armed forces as well as India and U.S.-based
billion. partners. Boeing has had a longstanding rela-
tionship with the Indian military; the country has
Under the terms of the contract, Airbus will supply the first 16 air- 11 C-17 Globemaster IIIs, eight P-8Is, 22 AH-64E
craft in flyaway condition while TASL will assemble the remaining Apaches and 15 CH-47F(I) Chinooks. There are
40 in India. in its year-end review. The defence ministry said that the four more P-8Is on order.
contract was likely to be signed in the “near future.” “The case is
first of its kind which envisages participation of private companies In July last year, Boeing completed delivery of
and would prove to be a boost for our defence industry,” it added. 22 AH-64E Apache to the Indian Air Force (IAF)
after it handed over the final five of the attack
If the deal goes through, the C-295s will replace the Avro-748 helicopters to the IAF at Air Force Station in
transport planes that had entered service in the early 1960s. The Hindan. The company had in March delivered
service had been planning to replace the Avro-748 for the better the last five of 15 CH-47F(I) Chinook heavy-
part of a decade and is also looking to phase out the AN-32 trans- lift helicopters to the service. Boeing has also
port aircraft brought from the Soviet Union in the Eighties. The won a contract to deliver six AH-64E Apache
Indian Coast Guard is also eyeing the purchase of six maritime to the Indian Army. Deliveries are expected to
patrol variants of the C295. begin in 2023.

22 | January 2021 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ ADT