India Approves $10.19B Deal for 15 Airbus C-295, 6 Refuelling Aircraft

Indian officials on Friday granted initial approval to procure 15 maritime patrol aircraft from Airbus, along with six air-refuelling aircraft.

The Defence Acquisition Council, the foremost body within the Defence Ministry responsible for arms acquisition, has given its nod to projects valued at 845.6 billion rupees ($10.19 billion) for the nation's armed forces and coast guard, according to a statement released by the Government.

The government has announced that initial approval, known as Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), has been granted for medium-range maritime reconnaissance and multi-mission aircraft to be utilised by both the Navy and the Coast Guard.

The statement, lacking elaboration, has been clarified by two defence officials knowledgeable on the subject, affirming its reference to the maritime surveillance iteration of the C-295 aircraft, manufactured by Airbus. Notably, production is set to occur in both Spain and India.

The Defence Acquisition Council has sanctioned the acquisition of flight refuelling aircraft aimed at bolstering the operational capabilities and extending the reach of the Air Force, as stated in the official announcement.

A military official has disclosed that the Air Force intends to pursue a multi-vendor bidding process to procure six flight refuelling aircraft, as per the latest development.

Three officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the lack of authorization to comment on the matter, refrained from disclosing any cost breakdown for the aforementioned two projects.

An Airbus spokesperson did not provide an immediate response to the request for comment. Furthermore, among Friday's approvals were anti-tank drones for the army and heavy-weight torpedoes for naval submarines.

Before obtaining final approval for purchase from the country's cabinet, each of these projects will undergo either bidding processes or negotiations with manufacturers.