Article Posted on : - Apr 07, 2010

The Casa CN-235 transport aircraft. An EADS Photo

PARIS (BNS): France will buy eight Casa CN-235 military transport aircraft from EADS NV at a cost of US$ 301 million.

The Directorate General of Armaments has placed the order to acquire the light-weight cargo planes for the French Air Force.

The contract, awarded to EADS on March 25, 2010, also includes provision of initial support for the aircraft.

The aircraft will be delivered to the Air Force between late 2011 and mid-2013, the French Defence Ministry said.

The Ministry has ordered the Casa planes in the wake of delay in the delivery of Airbus A400M heavy military transport aircraft, it said.

The French Air Force presently has a fleet of 19 Casa CN 235 planes. Besides these, it uses C160 Transall and C130 Hercules planes for transportation purposes.

The Casa CN 235 is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft capable of operating from short and unpaved runways. The aircraft can carry around 6,000 kg freight or 40 passengers.

In service with the French Air Force since 1993, the Casa fleet of planes has been providing logistics services and skydiving operations.