Philippine Air Force C295 cargo plane now numbered to three.
C 295 is classified as a medium-lift aircraft.
The 1st Philippine Air Force C295 plane was delivered in March 2016.
The 2nd C295 plane was delivered in September 2015.
The 3rd C295 plane was delivered in December 2015.
A C295 medium lift plane was reported to be capable of carrying 71 passengers or 50 paratroopers or up to 20,000 lbs. of cargo.
It is also capable of carrying 3 light vehicles.
It also has a maximum cruising speed of 260 knots and take off and land in short and rough airfields.
The C295 aircraft has various variants:
- The C295M military transport version, which the Philippines bought.
- C-295MPA/Persuader, which is a Maritime patrol/anti-submarine warfare version. It has provisions for six hardpoints.
- AEW&C. which is a prototype airborne early warning and control version with 360-degree radar dome.
- C-295W, which is an enhanced performance version with winglets and uprated engines announced in 2013.
- AC-295 Gunship, which is a gunship version.
This acquisition will enhance the capability of the Philippine Air Force to conduct Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) operations as well as perform its traditional role of providing airlift requirement of the entire Armed Forces of The Philippines.
The 3 Philippine Air Force C295 medium-lift cargo plane costs P2.59 billion.
The Plane will be used in support of the existing C130 cargo plane of the Philippine Air Force which is bigger and can carry heavier cargoes and loads.
The Philippine Air Force has 3 active C130 cargo planes.
2 more are expected to be acquired from the US as a US foreign military sales program.
The Philippine Air Force C295 is expected to replace in the future the existing Fokker F-27 currently being used by the Philippine Air Force to complement the C130.
The Fokker F-27 was the last new military transport plane bought by the Philippine government in the 1980s.
Hopefully, with these acquisitions and more on the pipeline will enable the Philippine Air Force to fully perform its functions and mandate under the law.
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This is great. But still we need training in order to use this plane