The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) has just received the first of 12 multi-role military airlifters ordered from US-based EADS North America. Brazil should get four C-295s before year-end.
"The C-295 has become the military transport aircraft of choice for an increasing number of armed forces around the world, and the C-295 will significantly increase Brazil’s medium transport capability," said Ralph D. Crosby, Chairman and CEO of EADS North America.
"As a combat-proven airlifter, the C-295 proves itself daily in operations with NATO allies and coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The Brazilian Air Force will utilize its C-295s for a variety of missions, including the support of Brazil’s Amazon Protection System (SIPAM) and for the Calha Norte Project, which provides airlift capacity into remote areas of the Amazon.
These aircraft are to replace aging C-115 Buffalo transports, and will complement the larger C-130 Hercules airlifters in the Brazilian Air Force fleet.
In operational service for seven years, the C-295 performs key missions that include combat airlift, humanitarian flights and logistics support for the armed services of Spain, Poland, Algeria and Jordan.
Ongoing production is providing new aircraft for Portugal and Finland, and the C-295 has won formal competitions in Australia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
The C-295 is being offered by the Team JCA partnership of Raytheon and EADS North America for the U.S. Army/Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) requirement. C-295s are being used today by NATO and coalition partners on JCA-type missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the airlifter is the only entry in the Joint Cargo Aircraft competition with FAA certification today.
The Team JCA C-295 has just concluded the Early User Survey (EUS) for the US Army and Air Force, which included validation testing, flight performance and handling qualities, short field performance, airdrops and austere field operations.
The C-295 and its shorter-fuselage CN-235 derivative have completed a total of 1 million flights in operations ranging from special mission service and troop rotations to international humanitarian and MEDEVAC (medical evacuation) flights, maritime patrol duties and peacekeeping operations.
More than 260 C-295s and the shorter-fuselage CN-235 version are deployed with over 24 military forces worldwide.
Customers for this airlifter family include the U.S. Coast Guard, which will operate the CN-235 as its new Deepwater maritime patrol platform and multi-mission airlifter.
Deliveries of the Coast Guard’s CN-235-300CGs will begin this year, with a total of 36 aircraft planned for acquisition in the framework of service’s Integrated Deepwater System modernization program.
EADS North America is the North American operations of EADS, the second largest aerospace and defense company in the world. As a leader in all sectors of defense and homeland security,
EADS North America and its parent company, EADS, contribute over $8.5 billion to the U.S. economy annually and support more than 174,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers and services. It has 11 operating companies located in 32 cities and 17 states.