Airbus Military has signed a firm contract with Kazspetsexport, a State Company belonging to the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan, to supply two C295 military transport aircraft plus the related service support package for spare parts and ground support equipment. The aircraft will be operated by the Air Forces of Kazakhstan in support of their transport missions throughout the nation´s vast territory.
Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed for a further six C295 aircraft, for which separate firm contracts will be signed progressively over the next few years. The first two aircraft will be delivered by April 2013 and for the remaining six aircraft a delivery schedule will be defined over the following years.
Under the terms of the MOU Airbus Military will support the Ministry of Defence over the period of delivery in transferring the required technological know-how in supporting the aircraft with the objective that the Ministry’s team will eventually take over autonomously the support of the C295.
“Airbus Military is extremely proud that the Kazakhstan Ministry of Defence has shown its confidence in our products when diversifying its supplier base and that Kazakhstan is now our first customer country within the CIS region. We will ensure that we live up to this mark of confidence and stand by our new customer for many years to come”, said Rafael Tentor, Head of Airbus Military Aircraft Programmes.
“This is exactly the kind of transport capacity Kazakhstan needs for current and future missions. The capabilities of the C295, combined with its cost-efficiency, ensured that it was selected over alternative offers for the renewal of the military transport fleet of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the 10 tonne payload class.”
The new generation C295 is the ideal aircraft for defence and civic missions to the benefit of society, such as humanitarian actions, maritime patrol, and environmental surveillance missions, amongst others. Thanks to its robustness and reliability, and with simple systems, this medium sized tactical airlifter provides wide versatility and flexibility, necessary for personnel, troop and bulky/palletized cargo transportation, medical evacuation, communication and logistic duties or paratroop air-dropping capabilities.
The C295’s remarkable versatility also allows it to be configured in special versions such as Gunship, Ground Surveillance, Search & Rescue, Maritime Patrol, Anti-Submarine Warfare, SIGINT or Airborne Early Warning. Its mix of dual technology civil/military equipment ensures success on demanding tactical missions, growth potential for future equipment, as well as compatibility with the latest civil airspace environment.
C295s in service today have accumulated more than 110,000 flying hours in the most demanding conditions, from extreme cold weather to hot desert areas. The C295 is part of Airbus Military’s family of light and medium airlifters which also includes the smaller C212 and CN235.
