Oman orders eight Airbus Military C295 aircraft

21/5/2012 military.airbus.com

The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) today signed a contract with Airbus Military for the acquisition of eight C295 aircraft, five of them configured as tactical transports and three as maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). They will be delivered from next year.

As well as upgrading the tactical transport capability of the RAFO in hot and dusty conditions, the aircraft will enhance Oman´s ability to patrol its territorial waters and to conduct missions against piracy, illegal immigration and smuggling.

Oman becomes the first country of the Gulf Cooperation Council to order the C295. It is also the fourth customer to order the C295 in the MENA region and the first in the area to order the C295 for maritime patrol operations.

Two Airbus Military CN235 aircraft are already operated by the Royal Oman Police.

“We are very proud of this new contract with Oman which demonstrates the satisfaction of our customer with our aircraft,” said Domingo Ureña Raso, CEO of Airbus Military. “This order underlines our leadership in this segment with over 100 orders. It confirms the excellent performance of the C295 in desert environments where its robustness and ability to cope with extreme heat are critical.”

This new deal means that 108 C295s have now been ordered, with 85 currently in operation with 13 countries.

The new generation C295 is the ideal aircraft for defence and civic missions to the benefit of society, such as humanitarian actions, maritime patrol, and environmental surveillance missions, amongst others. Thanks to its robustness and reliability, and with simple systems, this medium sized tactical airlifter provides wide versatility and flexibility, necessary for personnel, troop and bulky/palletized cargo transportation, medical evacuation, communication and logistic duties or paratroop air-dropping capabilities.

The C295’s remarkable versatility also allows it to be configured in special versions such as Gunship, Ground Surveillance, Search & Rescue, Maritime Patrol, Anti-Submarine Warfare, SIGINT or Airborne Early Warning. Its mix of dual technology civil/military equipment ensures success on demanding tactical missions, growth potential for future equipment, as well as compatibility with the latest civil airspace environment. C295s in service today have accumulated more than 110,000 flying hours in the most demanding conditions, from extreme cold weather to hot desert areas. The C295 is part of Airbus Military’s family of light and medium airlifters which also includes the smaller C212 and CN235.