READY TO TRANSFORM THE INDIAN MILITARY
AIRBUS IS SUPPORTING INDIA TOWARDS SELF-RELIANCE IN DEFENCE, AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECTOR OVERALL
India’s Defence sector has been identified as one of the priority sectors under the “Make in India” mission. The recent policy initiatives by the Indian government to build a robust indigenous industrial base is propelling the nation towards achieving greater self-reliance in the defence sector. The new Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP 2020) has provided impetus to the sector’s growth. Using an ecosystem approach, these initiatives aim to generate employment within the sector and will further give India the competitive edge in defence manufacturing. With a vision of making India a global hub in defence manufacturing, the government’s extensive plans for modernisation of the sector has added further boost to India’s ‘Make in India’ mission.
The Aero India 2021 exhibition in Bengaluru will exemplify India’s strength and capabilities in aerospace and defence manufacturing. The event will provide a glimpse of how the country is developing critical and cutting-edge technologies indigenously and fostering innovations in the sector. The exhibition is all set to demonstrate India’s ability to lead and build on its strength in the aerospace and defence sector, in a post-covid world.
As a longstanding partner to India’s defence forces, Airbus has been fostering cooperation and supporting the development
of the Indian aerospace and defence ecosystem by constantly increasing India’s contribution to its global product portfolio. Airbus has long been a proud partner in the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Today, every Airbus commercial aircraft is partly made in India.
Demonstrating this Airbus will showcase cutting-edge innovations from its global product portfolio at Aero India. On display in Airbus pavilion will be a scale model of its versatile C295 – a medium military transport aircraft. A preferred choice of armed forces of 30 countries, the C295 exemplifies both the quality and performance. The all-weather transport aircraft has proven reliability and ease of maintenance during arduous operational deployments. The C295 is quickly reconfigurable and can carry onboard all the necessary equipment to convert the cabin configuration from an empty one to transport, paratroop, cargo, MEDEVAC or a combination of them. Its advanced human machine interface backed with modern technology makes it compliant with both current and forthcoming civil and military requirements, thereby making it the ‘future ready’ aircraft for any military mission. As part of Airbus’ ongoing support to modernise the Indian armed forces, the
C295 has been offered to replace IAFS ageing Avro fleet. Airbus Defence and Space and Tata Consortium will jointly execute the project under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Also, on digital display will be Airbus’ multi-role tanker transport aircraft – the A330 MRTT. The military derivative of the highly successful A330-200 versatile wide body airliner, the A330 MRTT covers all ranges from short to long haul. The aircraft is widely recognized for its reliability, sophisticated technology and cost effectiveness for its role both as a tanker that can carry up to 111 tonnes of fuel or as a transport aircraft with 300 passengers seating in the economy configuration. The customisable aircraft can also be used for aeromedical evacuation missions.
Airbus Helicopters’ will display scale models of the H225M – the military version of Airbus’ H225 helicopter and AS565 MBE Panther. The H225M is a multi-purpose, versatile helicopter that enables a wide-range of military missions, such as combat, search and rescue, medical evacuations, tactical transport and coast guard missions. The all-weather helicopter is also supported with night vision goggle compatibility and can operate both from ships and from land, in any weather conditions. The AS565MBE naval version of Airbus’ Panther Family of helicopters is an all-weather, multi-role medium rotorcraft, designed for operation from ship decks, offshore locations and land-based sites. It is made for a multitude of naval and coast guard missions such as maritime surveillance, search and rescue, casualty evacuation, offshore patrolling and counter-terrorism. Airbus has partnered with Mahindra Defence to produce the AS565MBE Panther under the ‘Strategic Partnership (SP) policy to modernise the Indian Navy’s fleet. If selected, the two entities will set up a final assembly line for the ‘Panther’ and make strategic industrial investments that will support the development of the local supply chain and further promote skilling and employment of people in the Indian aerospace sector.
Needless to say, self-reliance and indigenisation in defence is an important step towards the industrial and technological development of the sector and Airbus is actively supporting the Indian government in achieving this mission.