On June 20, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Spain announced that the Spanish government has approved a plan to purchase new patrol aircraft based on the Airbus C295W platform.
The nine-year program entails the acquisition of 16 aircraft in two configurations. Six of them will be delivered in the C295MPA patrol variant, while the remaining ten will be in the C295MSA patrol and rescue variant. The entire project is estimated to cost EUR 1.7 billion and will facilitate the replacement of the currently operational Lockheed Martin P-3M Orion. Furthermore, this extensive fleet will expand the operational capabilities of the Spanish aviation and naval forces.
The contract could potentially be signed as early as this year, as the government has allocated EUR 50 million in the 2023 budget for this purpose.
If the deal goes through, Airbus will approach the milestone of 300 C295 sales. Currently, the number stands at 280 units, and in the upcoming days, the first aircraft of this type (MSA variant) will be delivered to the Republic of Ireland.
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