Defence Minister Rajnath Singh(Representative Image) (PTI)In a major development for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Ministry of Defence led by Union Minister Rajnath Singh has concluded the cost negotiations with Tata and Airbus for the purchase of 62 Airbus C-295 transport aircraft, reports The Hindu.
The Ministry having concluded the cost negotiations will now be placing the matter up for clearance of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), a nod from which can be expected in the next few months.
Once procured, the new C-295 transport aircrafts would thereafter go on to replace the IAF's 56 ageing Avro transport aircrafts. Meanwhile, it should be noted that apart from 56 replacement C-295 planes, the Ministry has also placed an order for six additional aircrafts for the Indian Coast Guard.
The total contract is worth a whopping $3 billion and the sole bid by Tata and Airbus for the project was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) back in 2015. The Request For Proposal (RFP) for the planes was issued to global firms even earlier in 2013.
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