At an estimated cost of 290 billion rupees ($3.5 billion), India plans to purchase over a dozen maritime surveillance aircraft from aviation giant Airbus SE in an effort to strengthen its position in the increasingly volatile Indian Ocean region.
According to a statement from the Defence Ministry, the medium-range, multi-mission maritime reconnaissance aircraft will improve “the surveillance and interdiction capabilities of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard over the country’s vast maritime area.”
The acquisition council, led by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, made the decision on Friday to increase the number of surveillance aircraft in India’s fleet.
Nine of these aircraft will go to the Indian navy, and the Coast Guard will receive the remaining six, according to senior officials who wished to remain anonymous due to the private nature of the talks.
To ensure that the platforms are available promptly, Airbus will manufacture four of the C-295 planes at its facilities in Europe. The people said that Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems’ joint venture will manufacture the remaining aircraft in India. In 2021, the Indian Air Force decided to replace its outdated transport fleet with the same aircraft.
According to the people, the maritime versions will be modified for surface and anti-submarine warfare and equipped with a sensor and weapons suit created by India’s Defense Research & Development Organization.
In the Arabian Sea, India has launched anti-piracy operations with about a dozen warships, an unmanned aerial vehicle fleet, and long-range maritime surveillance aircraft built in the United States. Its operations in the Indian Ocean region will be more effective with the addition of multirole, medium-range maritime surveillance aircraft.
The acquisition of six additional refueling aircraft for the Indian Air Force was also approved by the ministry of defense in India.
