The Spanish Ministry of Defense has ordered 16 Airbus C295s in maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) configurations from Airbus Defense & Space with Airbus Defence & Space. The order is worth 1.695 billion euros. The new aircraft will be used to expand and improve the Spanish Navy’s anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue units.
“The aircraft are designed and manufactured entirely in Spain, which strengthens the country’s industrial footprint and sovereignty,” said Mike Schöllhorn, CEO of Airbus Defense and Space. “In particular, the Maritime Patrol version is the most complex mission configuration of the C295 to date. It is a significant development project, bringing together the latest technologies to give our customer an operational advantage.” https://militaeraktuell.at/neue-investitionen-in-die-ab212-helis-geplant/ The contract also includes training systems (Full Flight Simulator and Mission System Simulator) and an initial logistics package. The C295 MPA will take over the tasks of the P-3 Orion fleet, which was already decommissioned at the end of 2022. It will be equipped for anti-submarine warfare, combating surface and underwater threats as well as for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It can also carry weapons such as torpedoes. The MPA configuration can cooperate with other platforms in different areas. The aircraft can also become a flying command center. The C295 MSA, in turn, is the replacement for the CN-235 Vigma fleet, which has been in service with the Spanish Aerospace Forces since 2008. It will primarily be equipped for maritime and overland missions such as combating smuggling, illegal immigration and drug trafficking as well as for national and international search and rescue missions. The Spanish Air Force already operates a fleet of 13 Airbus C295s equipped with a transport configuration. The new aircraft will be assembled at Airbus’ military facilities in Seville.
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