Indian Armed Forces conduct 'combat free fall' in Egypt's C-295: Here's why It's important

The Indian Army, in conjunction with the Air Force (IAF), and Egyptian Special Forces, conducted a ‘Combat Free Fall’ exercise from an Egyptian C-295 aircraft as part of Exercise BrightStar 2023 on September 8.

Indian and Egyptian military personnel. | Image: IAF

Free Fall for C-295: Why it is so significant

What adds a dimension to this feat is the imminent deployment of similar operations by IAF personnel later this month, this time from their own C-295 aircraft.The specific exercise will help Indian paratroopers become familiar with the dynamics of the platform, facilitating more efficient operations in future with similar systems in operations with IAF. The first Indian C295 aircraft, as per Airbus, achieved a milestone with its successful maiden flight, taking off from Seville, Spain, for a three-hour journey on May 5, and is anticipated for delivery this month, as per Remi Maillard, Airbus India President and Managing Director.

An Airbus C-295, formerly CASA. | Image: Airbus

Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, stated after the Indian C-295’s first flight that, "this first flight represents a significant accomplishment for the first Make in India aerospace programme." With plans for the acquisition of 56 C295 aircraft, as per the agreement inked in September 2021, IAF will become the largest global operator of the C295.

The agreement was inked with the intent to replace the legacy AVRO fleet. The initial 16 aircraft will be assembled in Spain, and delivered in a 'fly-away' condition, while the subsequent 40 will be manufactured and assembled in India through a partnership with Tata Advanced Systems (TASL). This, as per officials, will strengthen India's military-industrial ecosystem, from manufacturing to assembly, testing, delivery, and ongoing maintenance.

Ex-Bright Star so far

Returning to Exercise Bright Star-23, it has witnessed an extensive Indian deployment, with the Indian Army and Air Force contributing a contingent of 550 personnel, making it one of the largest overseas deployments in India's military history. The IAF's top team, including MiG-29s, IL-78s, C-130s, and C-17 aircraft, accompanied by the Garud special forces. INS Sumedha also reached Port Alexandria to take part in the multilateral exercise on Sept 6.

Furthermore, another interesting aspect is the participation of Pakistan's Air Force (PAF). With the Pak contingent featuring Chinese JF-17 aircraft in action, it will provide an opportunity for IAF to evaluate the Chinese aircraft’s real-time capability and assess the platform during combat simulations planned in Bright star.

Exercise Bright Star-23, revered as a platform for refining joint operation planning and execution, enhancing strategic relations, and fostering collaboration, holds particular significance in the Middle East & North Africa region. This exercise is among the world’s largest multilateral events held with participation from more than 34 countries.