Airbus Military Bags PAF Cargo Aircraft Deal

C-295 to Compliment C-130s

15 January 2014


The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) declared on Monday that Airbus Military has been selected as the  lone eligible bidder to the Philippine Air Force (PAF)'s medium-lift aircraft acquisition programme, edging out other bidders, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI)'s CN295 and Alenia Aermacchi's C-27J offers.

Under the contract, Airbus Military will supply three C295 twin-turboprop tactical transport aircraft and spare parts worth PHP5.288 billion (USD118 million) to the Philippine Air Force.

Defense Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez said that the first aircraft is expected for delivery within 12 months or as early as December 2014.

Secretary Velez said that earlier delivery schedule by the end of the year was aided by the Indonesian Government after it offered to transfer their delivery slots of the same C-295M model to the Philippines.

Indonesian Air Force's ordered 9 aircraft of the same variant in 2012 which is built by Indonesian Aerospace, an EADS subsidiary. The Philipine Airbus Military plane order will be also be assembled at EADS plant in Indonesia.

The C-295, a further development of the commercially successful Spanish – Indonesian transport aircraft CASA/IPTN CN-235, made its maiden flight in 1998 with the first order coming from the Spanish Air Force.

It is also in service with the Armed Forces of 14 other countries. As of 31 March 2013, 121 C295s have been contracted and 94 are in service, two were lost in an accidents.

Operators of C-295 includes Algeria, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, Oman, Portugal, and Spain.

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