New Delhi's order of Airbus C295s is intended to replace the Indian Air Force's five-decade-old fleet of Avro 748s. The air force has been attempting to replace the Avros since 2009. (Airbus Military)
India's Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) has approved the Quality Management System (QMS) for the Airbus C295M transport aircraft.
The DGAQA approved the system on 20 October, during the Defexpo 2022 held in Gandhinagar from 18 to 22 October. In a statement, Airbus said that this is the first DGAQA approval of a QMS of a foreign aircraft manufacturer.
Airbus said that the approval is linked to the production of the aircraft by its Indian partner, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL). This “involves full development of a complete industrial ecosystem – from the production of detailed parts to assembly, test, and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete life cycle of the aircraft”, Airbus said.
At a ceremony on 20 October, the head of Quality, Airbus Defence and Space, Kajetan von Mentzingen, said that the certification indicates a milestone for the C295 programme with context to New Delhi's ‘Make in India' initiative.
The DGAQA approval was given more than a year after India formalised a deal with Airbus to acquire 56 C295 transport aircraft. The deal, which was worth INR210 billion (USD2.53 billion), was signed in September 2021. Airbus said at the time that the C295s will be handed over in transport configuration. The aircraft will also be equipped with an indigenous electronic warfare suite.
Acquisition of the C295s will enable the Indian Air Force (IAF) to retire 50 ageing Avro 748 Series 2 transport aircraft in its inventory. According to Janes data, the first Avro 748s were inducted in 1964.
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