Angola has received the first of three Airbus C295 aircraft it ordered in April 2022.
The manufacturer announced the delivery from its Seville production line in Spain on 30 July, saying that this first aircraft has been handed over in a baseline cargo and troop transport configuration, with the following two to be delivered in a maritime surveillance fit.
The aircraft (T-412), photographed in Gando, Gran Canaria, by Antonio Rodríguez Santana, is part of a plan to replace the old Soviet-designed aircraft currently used by the FAN. In 2019, Angolan State Press Agency announced that the country’s Air Force is interested in buying three Airbus C295 MPA /Transport aircraft.
The National Air Force of Angola (Força Aérea Nacional de Angola: FANA) will utilise the twin turboprops for humanitarian and disaster relief, transport, paradropping, maritime surveillance, search and rescue, fishing and border protection, and other missions as it looks to safeguard the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Airbus has not disclosed a contract value or a delivery timeline for remaining aircraft.
Two more aircraft, which will arrive later, will be capable of conducting maritime surveillance. This will assist in search and rescue (SAR) operations, border control, monitoring illegal fishing activities, providing support during disasters, and gathering intelligence.
They will come equipped with the mission system known as the Fully Integrated Tactical System, or FITS, developed by Airbus, along with a range of sensors. FITS comprises a set of interconnected onboard computers and displays. These systems will directly provide the crews with processed information required for their missions. The avionics suite of these aircraft includes the latest version of Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion, ensuring maximum mission integration and efficiency.
Angola joins the 38 C-295 operators worldwide, with 44 of these aircraft now serving the African continent. 44 C-295s have been ordered by 10 different African air forces, which makes this medium tactical transport aircraft the leader of its segment in the region. Egypt, with 24 aircraft, Algeria as the first African country to acquire this aircraft, having today 6 C-295s in transport configuration. Gabon, the most recent customer in the region, with one aircraft already received.
One aircraft was ordered by Ivory Coast followed by Burkina Faso one year later. Even in 2020 during COVID-19 times, when the entire market was challenged, Mali received the C295 and decided to acquire an additional aircraft. Senegal, Angola and Gabon came next, between 2021 and 2023.
In total, the African C295 operators have reached more than 100,000 flight hours since they began operations in 2005.