Airbus and The Spanish Ministry of Defence have signed an order for 16 C295 aircraft valued at €1.695 billion equipped for anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
Airbus and The Spanish Ministry of Defence have signed an order for 16 C295 aircraft in Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) configurations, with a contract value of €1.695 billion. This move aims to bolster Spain’s national anti-submarine warfare capability and enhance surveillance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue capabilities. Designed and manufactured entirely in Spain, these aircraft will contribute to the country’s industrial defense footprint and sovereignty. The Maritime Patrol version is considered the most complex C295 mission configuration to date, incorporating advanced technologies to provide operational advantages.
The C295 MPA is slated to replace the retired P-3 Orion fleet and will be equipped for anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Additionally, it can carry armaments such as torpedoes and other weapon systems. The MPA configuration emphasizes high connectivity, enabling collaborative operations with other platforms in different domains and functioning as a flying command-and-control center.
“The aircraft will be fully designed and manufactured in Spain, fostering the national industrial defence footprint and sovereignty” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO, Airbus Defence and Space. “In particular, the Maritime Patrol version is the most complex C295 mission configuration to date. A major development project that will bring together the latest technologies to provide an operational advantage to our customer,” he further added.
On the other hand, the C295 MSA will serve as a natural replacement for the CN-235 VIGMA aircraft fleet, operational since 2008. Primarily configured for maritime and overland operations, it will be employed in activities such as anti-smuggling, anti-illegal immigration, anti-drug trafficking, and national and international search-and-rescue missions.
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The contract includes training systems (Full Flight Simulator and Mission System Simulator) and an initial logistics support package. The assembly of these aircraft will take place at Airbus’ military facilities in Seville. This strategic move underlines Spain’s commitment to modernize and reinforce its defense capabilities with state-of-the-art technology.
