EADS CASA C-295

The EADS CASA C-295 is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft manufactured by Airbus Military 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 further development of the commercially successful 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 design, including winglets, and an ability to carry the Marte anti-ship missile. An airborne early warning and control version is also planned.

Operational history
The C-295 is in service with the Armed Forces of 15 countries. , 121 C295s have been contracted and 94 are in service, two were lost in an accidents.

The C-295 was also 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. 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.

The C-295 is a candidate to replace the Canadian Forces's DHC-5 Buffalos.

This aircraft, along with the C-27J Spartan, is also a candidate to replace the Indonesian Air Force's Fokker F27s and the Peruvian Air Force's Antonov An-32s.

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

In July 2012 Poland ordered an additional five C-295s, this order also made the Polish Air Force largest single operator of the C295, flying a total of 16 aircraft. 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".

Variants

 * C-295M
 * Military transport version. Capacity for 73 troops, 48 paratroops, 27 stretchers, five 2.24 × 2.74 m (88 × 108 inches) pallets or three light vehicles.


 * 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.


 * 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.


 * C-295W
 * Enhanced performance version with winglets and uprated engines announced in 2013. Certification is expected in 2014.

Operators

 * The Algerian Air Force received 6 C-295 for transport and maritime patrol. One lost in accident.
 * The Brazilian Air Force received 12 C-295, designated C-105A Amazonas, to replace the ageing DHC-5/C-115 Buffalo transports.
 * The Chilean Navy operates 3 C-295 MPA.
 * The Colombian Air Force operates 5 C-295, the last of original four was delivered in April 2009. The fifth aircraft was ordered in September 2012 and delivered 14 March 2013. One more was ordered in January 2013. That will bring the total operating aircraft to 6 C-295.
 * The Czech Air Force ordered 4 C-295 that replaced their Antonov An-26s, with all delivered in 2010. They are based at Kbely Air-Base.
 * The Egypt Air Force operates 5 C-295 out of 12 ordered as of March 2013. Egypt has initially ordered 3 C-295 for tactical and logistical transport. First delivery was on 24 September 2011. In January 2013 Egypt signed follow-on order for 6 more planes.
 * The Finnish Air Force operates 3 C-295. There is an option for four more additional aircraft.
 * The Ghanaian Air Force operates 2 C-295s and has ordered a third one.
 * The Indonesian Air Force has ordered 9 C-295 for tactical and logistical transport. Three planes will be assembled in Indonesia by PT Dirgantara Indonesia, the same company which built the CN-235, the C-295's predecessor. The first two aircraft were delivered in September 2012 and all aircraft should have been delivered by the summer of 2014.
 * The Royal Jordanian Air Force operates 2 C-295.
 * The Kazahk Air Force operates 2 C-295 with a further of 2 on order. A memorandum of understanding has been signed for four more for a total of 8 C-295s. Kazakhstan took delivery of the first two aircraft on January 16, 2013.
 * The Mexican Air Force operates 6 C-295. They are operating in the 301th Squadron, based in Santa Lucia AFB.
 * The Mexican Navy operates 4 C-295. They are based at Tapachula Air Naval Base.
 * The Royal Air Force of Oman ordered 5 C-295 and 3 maritime patrol C-295 MPA in 2012.
 * The Polish Air Force has received 17 C-295 that replaced their Antonov An-26s. One aircraft crashed on 24 January 2008, the other 16 are in service at Kraków-Balice Air Base. Poland was first foreign customer, ordering eight planes in 2001, two optional in 2006 and two more in 2007, with delivery from 2003 to 2008. In June 2012, another five aircraft were ordered, 2 delivered in October 2012, third in December 2012 and final two units were delivered on 2 November 2013.
 * The Portuguese Air Force received 12 C-295, including seven transport (PG01) and five Persuader Maritime Patrol Aircraft (C-295 MPA, three PG02 and two PG03), to replace the C-212 Aviocar. They are operated by 502 Squadron and are based at Montijo Air Base, near Lisbon.
 * The Spanish Air Force operates 13 C-295 (designated internally as T.21 ).
 * The Indonesian Air Force has ordered 9 C-295 for tactical and logistical transport. Three planes will be assembled in Indonesia by PT Dirgantara Indonesia, the same company which built the CN-235, the C-295's predecessor. The first two aircraft were delivered in September 2012 and all aircraft should have been delivered by the summer of 2014.
 * The Royal Jordanian Air Force operates 2 C-295.
 * The Kazahk Air Force operates 2 C-295 with a further of 2 on order. A memorandum of understanding has been signed for four more for a total of 8 C-295s. Kazakhstan took delivery of the first two aircraft on January 16, 2013.
 * The Mexican Air Force operates 6 C-295. They are operating in the 301th Squadron, based in Santa Lucia AFB.
 * The Mexican Navy operates 4 C-295. They are based at Tapachula Air Naval Base.
 * The Royal Air Force of Oman ordered 5 C-295 and 3 maritime patrol C-295 MPA in 2012.
 * The Polish Air Force has received 17 C-295 that replaced their Antonov An-26s. One aircraft crashed on 24 January 2008, the other 16 are in service at Kraków-Balice Air Base. Poland was first foreign customer, ordering eight planes in 2001, two optional in 2006 and two more in 2007, with delivery from 2003 to 2008. In June 2012, another five aircraft were ordered, 2 delivered in October 2012, third in December 2012 and final two units were delivered on 2 November 2013.
 * The Portuguese Air Force received 12 C-295, including seven transport (PG01) and five Persuader Maritime Patrol Aircraft (C-295 MPA, three PG02 and two PG03), to replace the C-212 Aviocar. They are operated by 502 Squadron and are based at Montijo Air Base, near Lisbon.
 * The Spanish Air Force operates 13 C-295 (designated internally as T.21 ).
 * The Royal Air Force of Oman ordered 5 C-295 and 3 maritime patrol C-295 MPA in 2012.
 * The Polish Air Force has received 17 C-295 that replaced their Antonov An-26s. One aircraft crashed on 24 January 2008, the other 16 are in service at Kraków-Balice Air Base. Poland was first foreign customer, ordering eight planes in 2001, two optional in 2006 and two more in 2007, with delivery from 2003 to 2008. In June 2012, another five aircraft were ordered, 2 delivered in October 2012, third in December 2012 and final two units were delivered on 2 November 2013.
 * The Portuguese Air Force received 12 C-295, including seven transport (PG01) and five Persuader Maritime Patrol Aircraft (C-295 MPA, three PG02 and two PG03), to replace the C-212 Aviocar. They are operated by 502 Squadron and are based at Montijo Air Base, near Lisbon.
 * The Spanish Air Force operates 13 C-295 (designated internally as T.21 ).
 * The Portuguese Air Force received 12 C-295, including seven transport (PG01) and five Persuader Maritime Patrol Aircraft (C-295 MPA, three PG02 and two PG03), to replace the C-212 Aviocar. They are operated by 502 Squadron and are based at Montijo Air Base, near Lisbon.
 * The Spanish Air Force operates 13 C-295 (designated internally as T.21 ).
 * The Spanish Air Force operates 13 C-295 (designated internally as T.21 ).

Possible Sales


The Government of the Philippines is considering the purchase of a number of Indonesian-made military aircraft following a visit of the Indonesian Vice Defence Minister who arrived on one of the aircraft that the country is promoting. The Defense Undersecretary, Pio Lorenzo Batino, said that they are making preparations to acquire the aircraft through a government to government transaction with Indonesia. The aircraft is valued at US$28 million each. It is rumoured that one aircraft will be deployed to the Navy for long-range reconnaissance missions and anti-submarine warfare. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Defence, the common use of the aircraft in the ASEAN region would enhance cooperation among members and significantly reduce maintenance and operational costs of the aircraft. The Indonesian Air Force currently has 9 units on order and while it has already taken delivery of 2 aircraft, it is willing to allocate 3 delivery slots to the Philippine Air Force in order to help expedite delivery. All of the ordered units are due by 2015.

Vietnam has ordered 5 units of CN-295 from Airbus Military, but later reduced to 3. When meeting with Sjafrie in Hanoi, Vietnam, Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh, said that his country needed an aircraft that can deploy and transport troops, a rear cargo door and has a maximum carrying capacity of 10 tons. Explicitly, Phung Quang expressed interest in the CN-295 aircraft that meet the requirements by the country. According to Budiman, the transfer of production of the CN-295 aircraft orders from Airbus Military Vietnam to Indonesia PT DI is very possible because there has been collaboration between Airbus Military and PT Indonesian Aerospace to manufacture the aircraft.

Incidents

 * Mirosławiec air accident: on January 23, 2008 a Polish Air Force CASA C-295 flying from Warsaw via Powidz and Krzesiny to Mirosławiec crashed during its approach to the 12th Air Base near Mirosławiec. All passengers and crew aboard were killed. The number of victims were 20. All Polish C-295s were grounded after the incident. Polish defence minister Bogdan Klich dismissed five air force personnel after the accident investigation, which concluded that multiple failings contributed to the 23 January crash.


 * The Czech Army grounded its fleet of four CASA C-295Ms on October 31, 2011 due to equipment failure. A Navigation Display and other equipment "stopped working during landing" in a plane flying in from Seville, Spain, on October 30. Czech Army spokesperson Mira Trebicka said in a statement: "One of the two engines then stopped working." The two pilots managed to land with one engine. Army General Vlastimil Picek has ordered the immediate grounding of all aircraft, until the inquiry has ended. The aircraft were already grounded in February, following a severe drop in altitude in mid-flight and again in May, after problems with an avionics system.


 * On November 9, 2012 an Algerian Air Force EADS CASA C-295 aircraft crashed near the city of Avignon, France. It was flying from Paris to Algeria at the time of the crash. Four of the six passengers were killed, and the other two remained missing.


 * Emergency landing on October 2, 2013 a Polish Air Force CASA C-295 in the Balice airport due to equipment failure.