Spain has ordered 16 Airbus C295 aircraft in maritime patrol and surveillance configurations for €1.7 billion (U.S. $1.9 billion), Airbus announced Wednesday. Six maritime patrol variants will come equipped for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions, replacing the Spanish P-3 Orion fleet that retired at the end of 2022. The remaining 10 C295 aircraft in the maritime surveillance configuration are to replace Spain’s aging CN-235 fleet, which entered operations in 1988, according to the Air Force. The country expects to receive the first C295 in the maritime patrol configuration in 2027; the first surveillance configuration the year after; and delivery of the final aircraft in 2031.
Assembly will take place at the Airbus military facilities in Seville, Spain. The contract includes training systems, such as a full flight simulator, as well an initial logistics support package, Airbus said. The C295 has been an export success for Airbus in Spain, with total orders for 283 planes at the end of November, of which 216 were delivered so far. The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney turboprops and has a maximum takeoff weight of 23 metric tons.
