EADS CASA C-295

C-295
A Polish Air Force C-295M.
Role Transport aircraft
Manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA
EADS CASA
Airbus Defence and Space
First flight November 28, 1997
Introduction 2001
Status In service
Primary users Mexican Air Force
Polish Air Force
Egyptian Air Force
Produced 1997–present
Number built 136
Unit cost
$28 million[1]
Developed from CASA CN-235
Variants CASA C-295 Persuader

The EADS CASA C-295 is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft, and is currently manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space in Spain.

Design and development

The C-295 is manufactured and assembled in the Airbus Military facilities in the San Pablo Airport, in Seville, Spain. It is a development of the Spanish – Indonesian transport aircraft CASA/IPTN CN-235, but with a stretched fuselage, 50% more payload capability and new PW127G turboprop engines. The C-295 made its maiden flight in 1998. The first order came from the Spanish Air Force.

In 2012, EADS announced several enhancements to the base C-295 design, changes included the adoption of winglets and an ability to carry the Marte anti-ship missile; a dedicated airborne early warning and control variant was also planned.[2] In November 2015, a C-295 successfully demonstrated a new self-protection suite, which incorporated elements such as directional infrared countermeasures from Elbit Systems and infrared passive airborne warning system.[3] In January 2016, Airbus was in the process of developing a new hose-and-drogue in-flight refuelling rig to be optionally installed in the centerline of the C295, this capability is being promoted for the aerial refuelling of combat helicopters, initial 'dry' flight tests are scheduled later in the year; Airbus is also performing flap optimisations and other modifications upon the type for extreme takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.[4]

Operational history

The C-295 is in service with the Armed Forces of 15 countries. As of 31 August 2015, 136 C295s have been contracted and 134 are in service, two were lost in accidents.[5][6]

The C-295 was a major bidder for the US Army/US Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) which was awarded to the L-3 Communications/Alenia team on June 13, 2007.[7] The C-295 was considered a higher risk by the Army due to its use of a new operational mode to meet altitude and range requirements.[8]

The C-295 is a candidate to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's DHC-5 Buffalo in the Search & Rescue role.[9]

The aircraft, along with the C-27J Spartan, is a candidate to replace the Indonesian Air Force's Fokker F27s and the Peruvian Air Force's Antonov An-32s.[10][11][12]

In November 2011, the Australian Department of Defence issued a request for information on the C-295 and C-27J as a replacement for Australia's retired de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou.[13]

In July 2012 Poland ordered an additional five C-295s, this order made the Polish Air Force the second largest single operator of the C295, flying 16 aircraft.[14] In January 2013, Airbus reported that a total of 28 C-295s had been sold during 2012 in what was described as a "bumper year".[15]

In response to a Request for Information from the Indian Air Force for 56 transport planes at $2.4 billion to replace an ageing fleet of 55 Hawker Siddeley HS 748, Airbus announced on 28 October 2014 that it would bid for the contract with the C-295.[16][17] On 13 May 2015, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) Approved Purchase of C-295.The first 16 planes under the deal will be directly procured from the vendor and remaining 40 planes would produced locally in India by Tata Advanced Systems.[18][19]

Variants

C-295 AEW prototype at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2011
Indonesia Air Force CN-295 During Air Asia QZ-8501 Joint search And rescue Mission in 2015
C-295M
Military transport version. Capacity for 71 troops, 48 paratroops, 27 stretchers, five 2.24 Ă— 2.74 m (88 Ă— 108 inches) pallets or three light vehicles.[20]
NC-295/CN-295
Indonesian Aerospace-made C-295. Indonesian Aerospace have a licence to build the C-295 in Indonesia.
C-295MPA/Persuader
Maritime patrol/anti-submarine warfare version. Provision for six hardpoints.[20]
AEW&C
Prototype airborne early warning and control version with 360 degree radar dome. The AESA radar was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and has an integrated IFF (Identification friend or foe) system.[21]
C-295W
Enhanced performance version with winglets and uprated engines announced in 2013. Certification is expected in 2014.[22]
AC-295 Gunship
Gunship version developed by Airbus Defence and Space, Orbital ATK, and the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau, based on the AC-235 Light Gunship configuration.[23][24]

Operators

CASA C-295 operators:
  C-295M users.
  C-295 Persuader users
  Both versions users.
CASA C-295 of the Polish Air Force, at the Radom Air Show in 2005
EADS CASA C-295 of the Brazilian Air Force in special markings for RIAT 2009
EADS CASA C-295 of the Kazakh Air Force delivered in 2013
C-295 exhibited at ILA 2002
Portuguese Air Force EADS CASA C-295 (code 16708) arrives at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, England, on 10th July 2014, for the Royal International Air Tattoo
 Algeria
 Brazil
 Chile
 Colombia
 Czech Republic
 Ecuador
 Egypt
 Equatorial Guinea
 Finland
 Ghana
 India
 Indonesia
 Jordan
 Kazakhstan
 Mexico
 Oman
 Philippines
 Poland
 Portugal
 Spain
 Uzbekistan
 Vietnam

Incidents

Specifications (C-295M)

EADS CASA C-295
Cargo cabin transporting a Polish military Honker light vehicle

Data from Airbus Military,[53] c295.ca[54]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

Notes
  1. ↑ "C-295 Price". Philippines Flight Network. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Winglets and anti-ship missile top latest additions to C295". Flightglobal. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  3. ↑ Egozi, Arie. "Music test protects C295 from missile threats." Flight International, 25 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Drew, James. "PICTURES: Airbus to flight test new C295 aerial refuelling rig." Flight International, 15 January 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Egypt signs repeat order for six additional C295 aircraft". Airbusmilitary.com. Retrieved 2013-01-16.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Orders, Deliveries, In Operation Military aircraft by Country - Worldwide" (PDF). Airbus Space and Defence. Airbus Space and Defence. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Defense.gov Contracts for Wednesday, June 13, 2007". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Raytheon Lost JCA Over Aircraft Performance Concerns", Aviation Week, October 10, 2007.
  9. ↑ "EADS Casa prevé vender aviones C-295 a Canadá ante una "inminente" licitación" (in Spanish). Economia.terra.com.co. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  10. ↑ "La Fuerza Aérea de Perú evalúa el C295 de Airbus Military" (in Spanish). Fmbolivia.com.bo. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  11. ↑ "Empresa AirBus Military mostró las habilidades de su avión C295 en Perú" (in Spanish). Serperuano.com. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  12. ↑ Infodefensa.com. "Airbus Military busca vender en Perú aviones de transporte militar C295" (in Spanish). Europe: Infodefensa.com. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  13. ↑ "Defence confirms cost & availability request for C-295 too". Australian Aviation, 2 November 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  14. ↑ "Defence confirms cost & availability request for C-295 too". Poland orders five Airbus Military C295 aircraft, 2 July 2012.
  15. ↑ Hoyle, Craig. "Airbus details bumper 2012 for military transport sales." Flight International, 17 January 2013.
  16. ↑ "MoD Clears $2.4 bn Plan To Buy Cargo Planes For IAF". Defence News. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  17. ↑ "Airbus Defence teams with Tata for Indian Air Force bid". Flightglobal. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "India Approves Purchase of Airbus C-295 Military Transport Aircraft".
  19. ↑ "Defence ministry clears projects worth Rs 25,000 crore".
  20. 1 2 Jackson 2003, pp. 444–445.
  21. ↑ "Airbus Military Begins Flight Test of C295 Winglets". Airbus Military. 3 January 2013.
  22. ↑ Airbus Military launches C295W aircraft with enhanced performance – Airbus Military, 30 May 2013.
  23. ↑ "Airbus Defence and Space and ATK welcome Jordan’s selection of C295 gunship". Airbus Defence and Space. 18 June 2014.
  24. ↑ "ATK and King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau Define Baseline for AC-295 Gunship". ATK. 17 July 2014.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 Munson 2008, p.36.
  26. 1 2 "Algerian Air Force Plane Crashes in France"
  27. ↑
  28. ↑ "Czechs buy C-295 military tactical aircraft". Savunmasanayi.net. 2009-05-18. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  29. ↑ "Aviation News". Aviationnews.eu. 2010-10-29. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  30. ↑ "Egyptian Air Force becomes new Airbus Military C295 operator". Airbusmilitary.com. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  31. ↑ "Farnborough 2014: Egypt orders eight more C295 transports" IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  32. ↑ Stevenson, Beth (2 February 2016). "Equatorial Guinea orders two C295 transports". Flightglobal. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  33. ↑ "Finland Orders C-295 Light Transports". Defenseindustrydaily.com. 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  34. ↑ "Ghana to acquire additional Airbus Military C295". Air Recognition. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  35. ↑ "India Approved Purchase of 56 Airbus C295 Transport Planes." The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved: 16 May 2015.
  36. ↑ "Detik News". Finance.detik.com. 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  37. ↑ "Airbus Military: Contract with Indonesia for Nine C295 Aircraft". February 15, 2012.
  38. ↑ "Indonesia takes delivery of first two Airbus Military C295". September 19, 2012.
  39. ↑ "Kazakhstan buys 2 additional Airbus Military C295 cargo plane". airrecognition.com. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  40. ↑ "Military Aircraft Airbus DS - Press Center". Airbus Military. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  41. ↑ "Airbus delivers first C-295 aircraft to Philippines Air Force". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  42. ↑ Philippine News Agency (22 January 2016). "PAF commissions 3rd C-295 transport aircraft". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  43. ↑ "Poland orders five Airbus Military C295 aircraft". Airbus Military. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  44. ↑ Nowe nabytki Sił Powietrznych. altair, 4 November 2013. (Polish)
  45. ↑ Mais Alto 400, pp. 7, 9–10
  46. ↑ Mata, Paulo (January 1, 2013). "C295M: 10.000 horas sobre as asas ínclitas da fama" (PDF). Take/Off (in Portuguese). Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  47. ↑ "bmpd". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  48. ↑ "Polish army plane in fatal crash". BBC News. 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  49. ↑ "Katastrofa samolotu wojskowego na Pomorzu Zachodnim". Trojmiasto.pl. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  50. ↑ "Poland grounds C-295 transports after 20 killed in crash". Flight Global. 25 January 2008.
  51. ↑ "Polish air force dismisses five personnel following C-295 crash report". Flight Global. 14 April 2008.
  52. ↑ "Czech planes grounded for 3rd time this year". DefenceNews, 31 October 2011. Agence France-Presse
  53. ↑ "C295: The Tactical Workhorse."Airbus Military. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  54. ↑ SpecificationsAirbus Military. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
Bibliography

External links

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