Airbus Military is a global leader in the market for products operated by air forces for tactical and strategic transport and refuelling capabilities. In this second part of the article, Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey who visited Airbus facilities in Spain recently, reports how these aircraft are also used for all other kinds of civic missions.

The factory at San Pablo, Seville in southern Spain, boasts of the complete production and final assembly of the C212, CN235 and C295 family of military transport aircraft that span the medium tactical segment offering payload capability range from three to nine tonnes. Of these products, the C295 ought to be of particular interest to the Indian Air Force (IAF) that is seeking to replace its obsolete fleet of Avro medium-tactical transport aircraft acquired from Britain in the 1960s. To begin with, the requirement of the IAF has been pegged at 56 aircraft.

First delivered in 2001, the Airbus Military C295 is a significantly upgraded version of the reputed workhorse CN235. The C295 is a versatile, robust and reliable medium tactical transport aircraft with payload capacity of nine tonnes or 71 personnel with maximum cruise speed of 480 kmph. The aircraft displays outstanding hot and high performance, is equipped with two fuelefficient Pratt & Whitney engines that give it an endurance of 11 hours. The aircraft is in service in a number of countries such as Abu Dhabi, Brazil, France, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.

In its category, the C295 is the most trusted airlifter. The operational capabilities of the C295 render it eminently suitable for airborne assault operations, air supply using either normal parachutes or low altitude parachute extraction system and other missions related to logistic support. With the appropriate modifications that are carried out at the San Pablo factory, the aircraft can be made capable of undertaking a wide range of special missions such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), search and rescue, maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare. A key to the aircraft’s unique patrol and surveillance capabilities is the Airbus Military designed fully integrated tactical system (FITS), which integrates, controls and displays the mission sensors, enhancing mission awareness and facilitating decision-making. The C295 is fitted with the highly integrated avionics system from Thales with flexible architecture to meet with the needs of both military and civil applications. The C295 glass cockpit with digital avionics includes four large active matrix liquid crystal displays (6’’x8’’), fully compatible with night vision goggles. The advanced integrated avionics system with multifunctional displays provides improved situational awareness and flight safety, lower pilot workload and enhanced mission effectiveness.

The port engine is fitted with a propeller brake. While on the ground, the engine gas generator can function in the auxiliary power unit (APU) mode with the propeller stopped to deliver electrical power and bleed air for the aircraft systems. The propeller brake system provides the same ground-power functionalities of a conventional on-board APU at a fraction of the cost, weight and complexity. The C295 offers optional self-protection equipment, which is already in service in hostile environments like Iraq and Afghanistan. These include cockpit armour, radar warning receiver (RWR), missile approach warning system (MAWS), laser warning system (LWS) and chaff/flares dispensers. In flight refuelling capability is also an option on the C295.

Apart from its military roles, the platform is suitable for missions in the civilian regime such as search and rescue (SAR), disaster management, humanitarian aid, medical evacuation, law enforcement, environmental control, etc. The aircraft is quickly convertible from one operational configuration to another, an essential prerequisite for an organisation such as the IAF that is required to undertake a diverse range of military and civilian tasks, often on short notice. The aircraft is equipped with a rear ramp for easy loading and unloading, has excellent short-field performance and can operate from unpaved airstrips. With one million flying hours of operational experience in all types of environments, the effectiveness and reliability of the C295’s system design has been amply demonstrated. The C295 is the perfect “workhorse” offering unique versatility and proven reliability to respond to current and future needs of air forces the world over. The aircraft has been employed successfully in Afghanistan.

and command (AEW&C) version of its C295. The primary sensor of the AEW&C to be, will be the IAI/ELTA fourth generation active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with integrated IFF. The C295 AEW&C is to provide high quality 360° surveillance, creating in real-time an integrated air and maritime situation picture and electronic order of battle. The AEW&C situation picture is to be shared with friendly forces via network-centric data links. A C295 modified with winglets and fitted with a rotodome has been conducting flight trials from Airbus Military’s Seville facility since early June 2011. Other special mission versions of the C295 under development are the Gunship for close air support and the tactical aerial tanker to increase the radius of action for combat helicopters engaged in SAR or special operations.

The A400M: Airlifter of the Future

The A400M was launched in 2003 to meet the needs of seven European nations, namely Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Spain, Turkey and the UK. Malaysia joined the programme two years later. The prototype undertook its maiden flight on December 11, 2009. So far, a total of 174 aircraft have been ordered by eight air forces around the world. The A400M is the most versatile airlifter currently available in the world. It can operate from short, unprepared airstrips and unlike tactical airlifters of earlier generation, can perform both strategic and tactical tasks apart from the role of an aerial tanker. The aircraft can carry a maximum payload of 37 tonnes or 116 fully equipped paratroops or 66 stretchers. Its cargo hold is specifically designed to carry outsize military equipment such as infantry combat vehicles or large helicopters such as the Chinook that could not be carried by previous generation tactical airlifters.

The aircraft is designed for quick and autonomous cargo unloading or loading without the need for any specialised ground support equipment. Fitted with on-board winches and crane, the cargo hold is optimised for single loadmaster operation from a computerised workstation. By minimising time on the ground, the aircraft’s vulnerability while operating in a hostile operational environment is reduced. The A400M excels in the aerial delivery, being able to drop special forces from as high as 40,000 feet and on account of its ability to fly at very low speeds, it can deliver cargo loads from as low an altitude as 15 feet.

Powered by four unique counter-rotating Europrop International (EPI) TP400 turboprop power plants developed by a consortium comprising Rolls-Royce, Snecma, MTU and ITP, the A400M is the most powerful turboprop ever built. The airframe has a large percentage of composites making the aircraft lighter and consequently more fuel-efficient. With the new technologies incorporated, the A400M has a ferry range of 8,700 km at a cruising altitude up to 37,000 feet and at a speed of up to Mach 0.72. With a payload of 30 tonnes, the aircraft can fly up to 4,500 km and can operate from semi-prepared strips of 2,500 feet with a payload of 25 tonnes.