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The first C295 aircraft was inducted into the IAF on Monday at the Hindon Air Force station in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari.
“The aircraft will be part of the IAF Day celebrations slated to be held in Prayagraj,” a senior official of the IAF told PTI. It is likely to be one of the main attractions at the event, said another official, adding about 70-80 aircraft are likely to be part of the IAF Day celebrations.
The annual parade will feature a mix of vintage and modern aircraft, they said.
“The Indian Air Force will be celebrating its 91st anniversary on October 8. Keeping with the new tradition of hosting the Air Force Day celebrations in different parts of the country, this year’s Air Force Day parade and air display will be held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh,” the IAF earlier said. The ceremonial parade would be conducted at Air Force station Bamrauli and the air display would be conducted over the Sangam area, in the vicinity of the ordnance depot fort in Prayagraj. Last year, the celebrations were held in Chandigarh.
The scenic surroundings in Prayagraj would add to the appeal of the stream of aircraft flying-by in close formation, the IAF has said.
The IAF is procuring 56 C295 transport aircraft under a Rs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to replace its ageing Avro–748 fleet.
Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
The C295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft.
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