Spain Finalizes Acquisition of 16 C295 Aircraft for Anti-Submarine Warfare and Maritime Surveillance

The Spanish Ministry of Defence has sealed a deal for 16 Airbus C295 aircraft, slated for Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) configurations, marking a significant investment totaling €1.695 billion.

This strategic acquisition aims to bolster the national anti-submarine warfare capability and reinforce the surveillance, reconnaissance, and search & rescue capabilities of the Spanish Air and Space Force and the Spanish Navy.

Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, emphasized, "The complete design and manufacture of these aircraft will be carried out within Spain, furthering the country's industrial defense capacity and ensuring its sovereignty. The Maritime Patrol version represents the most intricate C295 mission configuration to date, incorporating cutting-edge technologies to provide our customer with a substantial operational edge."

Included within the contract are comprehensive training systems, featuring a Full Flight Simulator and a Mission System Simulator, along with an initial logistics support package.

Functionally, the C295 MPA is set to take over the roles previously performed by the retired P-3 Orion fleet. Configured for anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, it will also have the capacity to deploy armaments like torpedoes and various weapon systems. The MPA configuration boasts exceptional connectivity, enabling collaborative operations with different platforms across domains, and offers a flexible flying command-and-control center for diverse missions within the Spanish Armed Forces.

On the other hand, the C295 MSA serves as a natural successor to the CN-235 VIGMA aircraft fleet currently employed by the Spanish Air and Space Force since 2008. Primarily tailored for maritime and overland operations, it will play a pivotal role in counter-smuggling, anti-illegal immigration, anti-drug trafficking, and both national and international search-and-rescue missions.

The synergy between these two configurations is expected to be significant. Furthermore, the Spanish Air and Space Force manages a fleet of 13 Airbus C295 aircraft in transport configuration.

The assembly of these aircraft is slated to take place at Airbus’ military facilities located in Seville, Spain.