IAF's new C-295 transport aircraft makes debut at Vayu Shakti exercise

NEW DELHI: India’s new airlifter, the C-295 tactical transport aircraft, made its debut at the IAF's ‘Vayu Shakti-2026’ exercise at the Pokharan field firing range, performing specialised assault landings and showcasing its medium-lift capabilities alongside the US-made C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 Globemaster.For the first time, a C-295 aircraft, which is capable of carrying up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, performed a night assault landing drill, demonstrating its capability to land on temporary or unpaved runways in complete darkness.India is indigenously manufacturing 40 Airbus C-295 aircraft, the next-generation tactical airlifter, at a Tata aircraft complex in Vadodara following the import of 16 planes from the Airbus facility, with the first ‘Made in India’ unit scheduled to roll out by Sept this year.

IAF decided to acquire 56 C-295s in a Rs 21,935 crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space signed in Sept 2021.

The C-295 aircraft, with a payload of 9.25-tonne and 11-hour endurance, will replace the IAF's aging Avro-748 fleet, offering modern, versatile tactical airlift capabilities for troops, cargo and medical evacuation. Along with other transport platforms, the C-295 highlighted Vayu Shakti IAF's logistical reach and ability to execute rapid troop deployment and short-runway operations.

The Vayu Shakti drill, witnessed by President Droupadi Murmu, defence minister Rajnath Singh, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and other senior IAF officials, featured over 130 aircraft, including Rafale and Su-30MKI, and also showcased indigenous defence platforms along the border with Pakistan. It demonstrated IAF's ability to operate in a networked environment and the firepower and accuracy of its air and surface-based weapon systems and special forces.

The simulated targets included an enemy runway, a petroleum storage facility, bunkers, radar sites, tank and armoured convoys, a communication centre, a terror camp, ammunition storage dump, a hangar and a command-and-control centre.“This time in Vayu Shakti 2026, we offered a small glimpse of the Air Force's motto, which now is 'Achook, Abhedya, aur Sateek' (Unerring, Impenetrable, and Precise). And through this, we demonstrated how we executed Operation Sindoor.

How, after a trigger event — the Pahalgam attack in which our civilians were killed — we took action, dominated the escalation ladder and forced the enemy to come to the negotiating table through our actions and precise targeting,” Wing Commander and IAF PRO Jaideep Singh said.Hours before the exercise, IAF released a video showcasing for the first time the Sudarshan S-400 long-range air defence missile system in operational deployment, offering a rare glimpse into one of India’s most advanced and closely guarded military assets that played a key role in Operation Sindoor. It posted the video with a caption referencing the historic achievement of hitting a target about 314 km deep inside Pakistan territory last May.

The overlaid text in the IAF video read: “Longest-ever kill recorded in military history” and “Enemy may be out of sight but never out of reach.”