The Airbus C295 has several versions including one with Airborne Early Warning system. India has inked a nearly Rs 20,000 crore contract with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C-295 transport aircraft to replace the Avro-748 planes of the IAF

DRDO's Defence Electronics Research Laboratory has developed these systems. The procurement will take place via Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). This is the biggest export order received till date by BEL, the company said.

Airbus Defence and Space will procure the indigenous Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for its C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The procurement will take place via Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the DRDO said in a series of tweets on Thursday while lauding the efforts of its Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DRDL) in developing these systems. This is the biggest export order received to date by the BEL.

"The state-of-the-art RWR system is capable of intercepting the radio emissions of Radar systems periodically by scanning across the frequency bands," it tweeted.

"Ultra Violet-based Missile Approach Warning System (UVMAWS) is a passive missile warning system which detects the incoming missile attacks and warns the pilots for initiating countermeasures," the DRDO said in another tweet.

"UVMAWS is a small sized high performance system with low power consumption and less weight, suitable for helicopters and transport aircrafts," it added.

As part of its offset commitments under the C-295 aircraft programme, Airbus has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited for the manufacture and supply of the RWR and MAWS, reported The Hindu.

In September, India has inked a nearly Rs 20,000 crore contract with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C-295 transport aircraft to replace the Avro-748 planes of the IAF under a project that entails manufacturing of military aircraft in the country for the first time by a private company.

Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ''fly-away'' condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain. 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.

With a proven capability of operating from short or unprepared airstrips, the C295 is used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft, it said.

The aircraft can airdrop paratroops and loads, and also be used for casualty or medical evacuation. The aircraft is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol duties.