Spain Orders 16 Airbus C295 in Maritime Patrol and Surveillance Configurations
December 27, 2023 | AirbusEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The Spanish Ministry of Defence has ordered 16 Airbus C295 aircraft in Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) configuration and Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) configuration. The contract amounts to €1.695 billion.
These new aircraft will enable the Spanish Air and Space Force and the Spanish Navy to strengthen the national anti-submarine warfare capability as well as increase and enhance its surveillance, reconnaissance and search & rescue units.
“The aircraft will be fully designed and manufactured in Spain, fostering the national industrial defence footprint and sovereignty” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “In particular, the Maritime Patrol version is the most complex C295 mission configuration to date. A major development project that will bring together the latest technologies to provide an operational advantage to our customer.”
The contract also includes training systems (Full Flight Simulator and Mission System Simulator) and an initial logistics support package.
The C295 MPA will conduct the missions performed by the P-3 Orion fleet, which were retired at the end of 2022. It will be equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Likewise, it will be able to carry armaments such as torpedoes and other types of weapon systems.
The MPA configuration will be highly connected and will be able to operate in a collaborative mode with other platforms in different domains. The aircraft can become a flying command-and-control centre, providing the Spanish Armed Forces with the versatility to carry out a wide range of missions.
The C295 MSA is the natural replacement for the CN-235 VIGMA aircraft fleet, which have been in service with the Spanish Air and Space Force since 2008. It will be primarily equipped for maritime and overland operations such as anti-smuggling, anti-illegal immigration and anti-drug trafficking operations, as well as national and international search-and-rescue missions.
There will be a high degree of synergy between both configurations. The Spanish Air and Space Force also operates a fleet of 13 Airbus C295 in transport configuration.
The aircraft will be assembled at Airbus’ military facilities in Seville.
Suggested Items
RTX's Ascentia to Receive Significant Upgrades
04/12/2024 | RTXCollins Aerospace, an RTX business, will introduce two major upgrades to the Ascentia software platform. Ascentia is a software solution for aircraft reliability management that is designed to streamline operations, enhance decision-making and predict future events.
Airbus Forecasts North America’s Commercial Aircraft Services Market Value at $45B by 2042
04/08/2024 | AirbusNorth America’s commercial aircraft services market will grow to US$45 billion from US$31 billion today (a 45% increase) by 2042 according to Airbus’ latest Global Services Forecast (GSF).
TT Electronics Receives UK Government Funding for Sustainable Aviation Technology Development
03/20/2024 | TT ElectronicsTT Electronics, TT Electronics, a leading provider of custom power solutions and engineered technologies, is delighted to announce it has received a substantial funding award as part of a £200 million joint government and industry investment plan to boost British manufacturing and R&D.
Bell Announces Bell 505 Dealership Agreement with Chinook Helicopters
02/29/2024 | Bell Textron Inc.Bell Textron, a Textron Inc. company, announced during the HAI Heli-Expo 2024 held in Anaheim, California, that it has appointed Chinook Helicopters as an authorized Bell 505 dealership serving western Canada. “With our 42-year history of flying Bell helicopters, we are enthusiastic about our relationship with a world-leading aircraft manufacturer and genuinely thrilled to be working alongside them,” said Cathy Press, CEO, Chinook Helicopters.
Major Investors Expect First Commercial eVTOL Passenger Routes to be Operational by 2026
02/28/2024 | Globe NewswireNew Horizon Aircraft Ltd., doing business as Horizon Aircraft (“Horizon Aircraft” or the “Company”), a leading hybrid electric Vertical TakeOff and Landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft developer, publishes new global research* that indicates global investors are anticipating the first commercial passenger routes of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft to be operational in the next few years as the Future Air Mobility market continues to advance rapidly.