Equatorial Guinea has acquired a pair of Airbus Defence & Space C295s, one for troop transport and the other for maritime surveillance.
A government announcement on 26 January said representatives visited the manufacturer’s facility in Seville, Spain, to sign the deal with Airbus, and the first example is expected to be delivered in September.
“This trip [was] in accordance with the desire of the government to strengthen security measures around the coastal areas of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea,” it says. “The government of Equatorial Guinea has acquired two military aircraft for the transportation of troops and the surveillance of national territory.”
A Portuguese maritime surveillance-configured C295
Craig Hoyle/Flightglobal
The cargo variant will be the first to be delivered, and is expected to aid with personnel transportation, medical assistance and evacuations. Delivery of the maritime surveillance aircraft is anticipated in 2017.
During the visit to Seville, government representatives also explored the training facilities available, although it is not clear if this element is included in the deal.
The C295s will bolster the nation's relatively modest military fleet, which includes an Antonov An-72 transport, four Sukhoi Su-25 combat aircraft and two Aero Vodochody L-39 jet trainers, plus a number of Russian-built rotorcraft, Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer database shows.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
