Article Posted on : - Jun 23, 2011

To validate the aircraft’s readiness to be used as an AEW&C platform, a C295 fitted with a rotodome demonstrator is conducting flight trials from Airbus Military’s Seville facility in Spain since June 8.

LE BOURGET, PARIS (BNS): Airbus Military has joined hands with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop and market a new version of its C295 tactical military transport aircraft fitted with Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system.

The two firms signed a MoU in this regard on Tuesday during the ongoing Paris Air Show at Le Bourget.

The AEW&C system for the medium-sized tactical airlifter will be developed by IAI subsidiary ELTA systems and will be equipped with a 4th generation active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that will work as its primary sensor.

The new C295 AEW&C aircraft will be designed to provide high quality 360° surveillance, creating in real-time an integrated air and maritime situation picture and electronic order of battle.

To validate the aircraft’s readiness to be used as an AEW&C platform, a C295 fitted with a rotodome demonstrator is conducting flight trials from Airbus Military’s Seville facility in Spain since June 8.

The initial tests have shown that the twin-turboprop aircraft is aerodynamically an excellent platform for this purpose, the defence companies said.

ELTA Systems and Airbus Military are now conducting engineering studies to integrate the mission suite, including AESA radar, among other sensors, into the aircraft.

The C295 is a medium-sized tactical aircraft designed to perform a range of military as well as civilian missions, including humanitarian aid, homeland security, maritime patrol, and environmental surveillance.