Aircraft will be supplied in two configurations
The Spanish Ministry of Defence has ordered 16 Airbus C295 aircraft in Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) configurations in a deal amounting to $1.87 billion (€1.695 billion).
The contract includes training systems (Full Flight Simulator and Mission System Simulator) and an initial logistics support package.
The new aircraft – to be assembled at Airbus’ military facilities in Seville – will enable the Spanish Air and Space Force and the Spanish Navy to strengthen the European nation’s anti-submarine warfare capability and increase and enhance its surveillance, reconnaissance and search & rescue units.
The Spanish Air and Space Force already operates a fleet of 13 Airbus C295 in transport configuration.
Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said: “The aircraft will be fully designed and manufactured in Spain, fostering the national industrial defence footprint and sovereignty.
“The Maritime Patrol version is the most complex C295 mission configuration. A major development project that will bring together the latest technologies to provide an operational advantage to our customer.”
The C295 MPA will conduct the missions performed by the P-3 Orion fleet, which was retired at the end of 2022. It will be equipped to conduct anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Likewise, it can carry armaments such as torpedoes and other weapon systems.
The MPA configuration will be highly connected and can operate collaboratively 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 various missions.
The C295 MSA is the natural replacement for the CN-235 VIGMA aircraft fleet, which has 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.
Featured image: The newly ordered C295 aircraft for Spain will be assembled at Airbus’ military facilities in Seville. Image: Airbus
