The very first C295 military transport aircraft to be assembled in India rolled out of the factory in Vadodara, Gujarat, on May 12, according to several corroborating Indian sources, showing the complete aircraft being towed, but not painted in its final livery. This roll-out, which was made official by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on May 15, comes several months before the September target previously mentioned.

The IAF states that the aircraft is now preparing for its maiden flight.

As a reminder, Airbus Defence and Space and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) inaugurated this new assembly line, the first established by the private sector in India, in October 2024, three years after the Indian Air Force signed the contract to acquire 56 C295s to replace its venerable Hawker Siddeley HS 748s.

Sixteen aircraft have now been produced and delivered in flying condition from the historic Seville plant (the last one arrived in India last August), with the remaining forty due to leave the Vadodara FAL under the “Make in India” program by 2031, excluding potential additional contracts.

Over 85% of the structural and final assembly of the forty C295s will be produced in India, along with 13,000 parts.