First C-295 transport aircraft

• Indian Air Force Squadron No. 11, also known as The Rhinos, will receive the first C-295 transport aircraft.

• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh along with Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary attended the 'Sarva Dharma Puja' ceremony.

• The C-295 transport aircraft will replace the HS-748 Avro aircraft and will enhance the medium-lift strategic capability of the Indian Air Force.

• In September 2021, India formalized the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft for Rs 21,935 crore.

• The first 16 C295s of the 56 aircraft on order will be assembled at the San Pablo Sur site in Seville.

• The remaining 40 C295s of the order will be manufactured and assembled in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) at the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara.

• Production of components for these aircraft has started at the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad.

• These aircraft will be manufactured under the private sector's first 'Make in India' aerospace programme.