Philippine Air Force takes charge of additional C295

The Philippine Air Force received its fifth Airbus C295 on 28 March 2022. (Airbus)

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) received an additional Airbus C295M medium-lift transport aircraft on 28 March. This raises the total number of C295s operated by the country to five.

Colonel Maynard Mariano, PAF spokesperson, told the state-owned Philippine News Agency (PNA) that the aircraft arrived at around 1700 h Philippines standard time at Clark Air Base, Pampanga.

Airbus told Janes that this aircraft marks the first delivery of a new contract signed in 2021 with the Philippines for the acquisition of three additional C295. According to PNA, the contract is worth PHP5.288 billion (USD 101.65 million).

“All aircraft [will] be delivered in transport configuration,” the Airbus spokesperson said. “[They] will take the country's fleet up to seven C295.”

Col Mariano said that the acquisition of the aircraft is part of the country's ongoing modernisation programme. “Three C295 aircraft were acquired under the Medium Lift Aircraft Acquisition Project pursuant to the Republic Act (Number) 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act,” he told PNA.

Speaking to Janes, he added that the aircraft will fill a gap in airlift requirements. “We will be able to reach more destinations in-country where short field take-offs and landings are a must. We can transport more personnel and equipment to hard-to-reach areas in the country that are at the fringe of the territorial boundaries,” he said.

Col Mariano noted that the two remaining aircraft will arrive in the coming months.

The PAF will assign the aircraft to its 220th Airlift Wing of the Air Mobility Command.