Philippine Air Force acquires fourth C295M tactical transport

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has acquired its fourth Airbus Defence and Space C295M tactical transport aircraft. The platform was accepted, turned over to the PAF, and blessed in a ceremony held on 11 November at the Haribon Hangar at Clark Air Base in the Philippine province of Pampanga that was also attended by Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana.

The PAF said in a statement that the C295M was acquired by the Department of National Defense (DND) from Spain’s Airbus Defense and Space as part of the Command and Control Fixed-Wing Turbo Prop Acquisition (C2FWTPA) Project under the Revised Modernisation Programme for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The platform will supplement the three C295s currently in service and is expected to further enhance the PAF’s medium tactical airlift capabilities. The aircraft, which will also be used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, can also be utilised as a command and control aircraft to “cater to the domestic air transport of the president and other national and strategic defence leader leaders of the country”, said the PAF.

During the ceremony Lorenzana reiterated the AFP’s plans to acquire additional C295M aircraft to “further protect the country’s maritime domain”.

The first operational mission of the recently acquired aircraft is expected to consist of the transportation of troops, equipment, and relief goods in support of the earthquake-affected victims in Mindanao, according to the PAF.