The first "Made in India" Airbus C295 military transport aircraft on Thursday has successfully completed its maiden test flight from the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, marking a major milestone for India's aviation and defence manufacturing sector.
Airbus Defence, in a post on X, said the test flight was a crucial step in the aircraft's post-production testing process. The aircraft is the first of 40 C295s to be manufactured in India and its successful flight moves the programme closer to delivering the first India-built C295 to the Indian Air Force later this year.
"The first ‘Made in India' Airbus C295 military transport aircraft has conducted its first test flight from the Final Assembly Line in Vadodara, marking a milestone for Indian aviation and defence," Airbus Defence said.
The company said the achievement represented an important step forward for the C295 India programme and supported the Government of India's "Make in India" initiative.
Calling the project a "game changer", Airbus Defence said the C295 programme was the first instance of a military aircraft being manufactured in India by the private sector. The company said the progress reflected the sustained efforts of Airbus, Tata Advanced Systems Limited and several Indian MSMEs that are manufacturing aircraft parts across the country.
"We thank the Indian Air Force, Ministry of Defence and Government of India for their unwavering trust in us. We are building the future of Indian aerospace,” Airbus Defence said.
The Indian Air Force also welcomed the successful maiden flight and congratulated all stakeholders involved in the programme. "The Indian Air Force congratulates the entire team behind the successful maiden flight of the first India-made C-295," the IAF said in a post on X.
The IAF said the achievement reinforced India's growing aerospace capabilities and underlined its commitment to strengthening indigenous defence manufacturing under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
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