Angola has placed a firm order for three Airbus C-295s to perform multirole operations. Two aircraft will be specifically equipped for maritime surveillance and one for transport missions.
The aircraft configured for transport missions will be able to carry out tactical cargo and troop transport tasks, paratrooping, load dropping or humanitarian missions.
In 2019, Angolan State Press Agency announced that the country’s Air Force is interested in buying three Airbus C-295 MPA /Transport aircraft.
The Angolan Ministry of Defence owned company Simpotex then signed a USD $196.7 million agreement with Airbus Defence and Space on the behest of the Angolan President João Lourenço.
The new aircraft would be used by both the Navy and the Air Force to patrol the country’s maritime domain and Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). The deal would be funded by a Spanish Bank Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria in agreement with the Angolan Government.
The two C-295s configured as Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) will carry out Search and Rescue (SAR), control of illegal fishing and borders, support in case of natural disasters and intelligence-gathering missions, among others. Airbus says that they will be equipped with the Airbus-developed Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) mission system as well state-of-the-art sensors.
All three aircraft will be equipped with the latest version of the Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion avionics suite.
With this new order, the Força Aérea Nacional de Angola becomes the 38th C-295 operator worldwide.
The C-295 will join several other tactical and strategic aircraft in Angolo including 2 CASA C-212, a Cessna Citation I for ISR, 2 Xian MA60 tactical transport, 6 Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport, 8 Antonov An-12 heavy transport, 1 Antonov An-26 transport, 5 Antonov An-32 transport, 6 Antonov An-72 heavy transport, and a Quest Kodiak 100 utility aircraft.
