Illustrative photo: Oman Air Force C-295MPA (© Giovanni van Erven)
On 16 February 2024, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved the purchase of fifteen Airbus Defence C295 maritime aircraft.
The future order, although still to be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), will consist of six Maritime Patrol Aircraft (C295MPA-W) for the Bharatiya Nau Sena (BNS, Indian Navy) and nine Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (C295MSA-W) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
The C295s will be manufactured in India at the new Airbus-Tata consortium (Tata Advanced Systems Ltd - TASL) facility at Vadodara in the state of Gujarat.
The aircraft will be fitted with specialised radars and sensors by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO Centre for Airborne Systems, making them versatile maritime aircraft.
With these aircraft, India would be able to keep a far closer eye on its expansive coastline and exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Navy's new observation platforms will improve its capabilities in long-range monitoring, search and rescue missions, and anti-submarine warfare. In a similar vein, the Coast Guard's modernised surveillance aircraft will increase its efficacy in anti-piracy, disaster response, and fisheries protection missions.
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