PICCIE: the first Chilean anti-submarine C295 delivered...

[Stratofreighter]

Airbus Military image

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Chile gets first anti-submarine warfare C295

The Chilean Navy has taken delivery of its first C295 ASW.

Gary Parsons - 2-Apr-2011

Airbus Military image

April 2: The Chilean Navy has taken delivery of its first anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configuration Airbus Military C295.

The handover took place after the aircraft was certified by INTA, the Spanish authority responsible for certification and military airworthiness.

Based on the Maritime Patrol (MPA) version, the C295 ASW is the first ASW type designed and certified in Europe since the 1960s’ Bréguet Atlantic.
"It is a modern and risk-free choice to replace the veteran and ageing P-3 Orion or Bréguet Atlantic fleets." (EADS)

The aircraft is equipped with two underwing hard points to carry weapons or other stores and has a comprehensive suite of sensors including a search radar, digital avionics that are compatible with night-vision goggles (NVG), automatic identification system, acoustic system, and a magnetic anomaly detector.

The data from all these sensors are processed by the Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS), an Airbus Military-developed mission system that presents the data in an intuitive form to the four tactical operators via on board mission consoles as well as to the pilots.

Three aircraft were ordered by the Chilean Navy in October 2007.

The first, a C295 MPA, was delivered in December 2009.

The other two are both ASW versions and the second will be delivered in the next few months.

"The Chilean Army, Navy, and Air Force already operate one C295 MPA, three CN235s, and 13 C212s – meaning they collectively operate members of the whole Airbus Military medium and light aircraft family.
To date, Airbus Military has sold 356 CN235 and C295 aircraft to 55 different operators." (EADS)

[flying_kiwi]

"It is a modern and risk-free choice to replace the veteran and ageing P-3 Orion or Bréguet Atlantic fleets." (EADS)

I take it you don't agree??
There are plenty of Orion operators with elderly airframes (especially A and B models), the the operating environment isn't all that kind on the aircraft. I can certainly see the Argentinians operating the C295 in the future, possibly the Greeks as well.

[ehusmann]

I can certainly see the Argentinians operating the C295 in the future, possibly the Greeks as well.

And the Spanish, and the Portuguese.

Erwin