Portugal sells surplus C212s to Uruguay

Portugal is to transfer to Uruguay two C212-300 Patrullero maritime surveillance aircraft formerly in service with the Portuguese Air Force (FAP). A contract for the transfer was signed in Lisbon on 18 December between Portuguese Secretary of State for National Defence, and her Uruguayan counterpart.
The contract signature follows a letter of intent issued on 24 July after Uruguay had expressed an interest in buying the aircraft in late 2013.
Both aircraft will be delivered to the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU) during the summer of 2015. The package includes spares, documentation, as well as maintenance services by the FAP, such as structural and systems inspections and associated testing. The fleet will be delivered in "as is" condition to Uruguay with the nose radar installed.
The two C212-300s will join three C212-200 Aviocar transports and a single C212-200MP maritime patrol aircraft currently in service with the FAU's No 3 Air Squadron at Carrasco.
Portugal officially withdrew the aircraft from service in December 2011, having received them in March 1994 from Spain's Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA), now part of Airbus Defence & Space. The aircraft were used in search and rescue tasks and as part of the country's maritime surveillance system.
This is the second transfer of surplus Portuguese platforms to Uruguay after the Portuguese Navy frigates NRP João Belo (F480) and NRP Sacadura Cabral (F483), along with Mk 44 torpedoes, were transferred to the Uruguayan Navy in April 2008 as part of a March 2008 deal worth EUR13 million.
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