Tuesday, May 11, 2010

First torpedo launched from C295



Airbus reports it has successfully conducted the first torpedo launch from one of its C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA).

Airbus says the launch is a significant entry for it into the market of Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) aircraft, currently dominated by veteran aircraft such as the P-3 Orion and the Atlantique.

In other C-295 news, the Chilean navy has received the first of its three C-295s. And Poland will deploy its C-295s to Afghanistan.


From Airbus:

The C295 MPA/ASW includes two under-wing pylons for the installation of torpedoes and
other external loads. It also incorporates a Store Management System (SMS), integrated with the Airbus Military Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS), to control the deployment of sonobuoys for submarine detection and torpedoes.

The C295 MPA has a flight endurance of over 11 hours, and it is used for a wide variety of
missions: Search and Rescue (SAR), control of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), law
enforcement, marine pollution detection, as well as defence missions. The C295 platform, a multi-mission short / medium range tactical transport aircraft, offers high manoeuvrability and excellent qualities for low-altitude flying. In addition, it has been widely tested in all kinds of aerial deployments: launch of chains of SAR rafts, emergency equipment and parachutists.

To date, a total of 82 C295s have been sold to 12 operators, and nine countries have
contracted 47 CN235/C295s MPA, which demonstrates the capabilities and effectiveness of Airbus Military platforms for maritime patrol missions. Airbus Military has sold more than 800 C295/CN235/C212s to more than 120 costumers.

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