Airbus-Tatas Bid For 20,000 Crore IAF Transport Aircraft Order

BANGALORE: European consortium Airbus Defence and Space has made a joint bid with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for a 56 medium transport aircraft order of the Indian Air Force (IAF) valued at 20,000 crore ($3 billion).

"We have submitted a joint bid October 22 for supplying Airbus C295 medium transports to the IAF, which plans to replace its fleet of Avro aircraft," an Airbus Defence official told in an e-mail from France.

The euro 14 billion ($17.8-billion) Airbus Defence has tied up with Tata Sons' subsidiary (TASL) as its Indian production partner for the order.

The bid is for 56 twin-turboprop tactical military aircraft, including 16 in fly-away condition from the Airbus Defence final assembly line and the remaining 40 to be built and assembled by TASL in Hyderabad.

"Under the terms of the request for proposal (RFP), the first 16 aircraft, assembled at Seville in Spain, are to be delivered in 24-48 months after signing the contract. The remaining 40 aircraft, to be assembled in India, are to be delivered in 60-120 months thereafter," Airbus official Kieran Daly said.

As part of the technology tie-up, TASL will undertake structural assembly, final aircraft assembly, systems integration and testing and management of the indigenous supply chain.

"We believe that C295 is the best aircraft to replace the IAF's Avro fleet. In Tata Advanced Systems, we have the cream of the Indian private aerospace sector as our partner for this project," Airbus Defence and Space vice-president Domingo Urena Raso said in a statement.

The aircraft is in the six-eight tonne class, with a cruise speed of 800km per hour and a range of 2,500-2,800km.

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