Rajnath Singh to inaugurate Bharat Drone Shakti-2023 on Monday; will induct C-295 transport aircraft into IAF

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will Monday inaugurate the Bharat Drone Shakti-2023 exhibition at the Hindan Air Base in Ghaziabad. The defence minister would also formally induct the C-295 transport aircraft into the Indian Air Force at the exhibition, according to the IAF officials, ANI reported. The Indian Air Force received the first C295 aircraft earlier this week, two years after New Delhi sealed a Rs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the planes. Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and other top military officials will also be present at the exhibition. With inputs from ANI, PTI