India to purchase 15 Airbus C295 maritime patrol aircrafts

The Government of India gave its initial approval for the purchase of 15 C295 aircrafts from Airbus Defence and Space, which will be destined for the Navy and the Coast Guard.

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The Defense Acquisition Council approved the budget for the purchase of the maritime patrol planes, as part of a larger armament purchase program. Although the press release issued by the Indian Ministry of Defense is short on details, Reuters was able to ascertain that these are 15 new Airbus C295s (to be added to the 56 aircraft previously purchased for the Indian Air Force), of which nine will be MPA versions with anti-submarine (ASW) capability for the Navy and six will be VIGMA versions for the Coast Guard.

Similar in capabilities to the C295s purchased by the Spanish government in late 2023, the Indian C295 MPAs (locally designated MRMR-Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance) will carry out anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It will also be able to carry armament such as torpedoes and other types of weapon systems.

The Indian Coast Guard’s C295 MMMA (Multi Mission Maritime Aircraft) will have as its main functions Maritime Surveillance and Interception, Search and Rescue (SAR) and Pollution Control.

Airbus delivered the first of 56 C295 aircraft ordered by India

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In line with the government’s «Make in India» policy, the aircraft, designed by European aerospace giant Airbus, will incorporate a number of Indian-made equipment, including sensors, avionics and armament. They will probably also be manufactured locally under license by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), which is responsible for the production of the C295s for the Indian Air Force (IAF).