New Spanish transport plane turned over to AFP today

MANILA, Philippines - The first of three C295 transport planes acquired by the government from a Spanish firm will be formally accepted by the Air Force today.

Key security officials including Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. and Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado are expected to attend the turnover and blessing of the plane at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

The Air Force will accept the aircraft because it has undergone inspection and test flights. The government does not automatically accept equipment it bought from suppliers as this should first meet certain requirements before being turned over and accepted.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya said the C295 would be turned over to the 220th Airlift Wing based in Cebu. The C295 is expected to boost the Air Force’s capability to provide airlift during humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

Last year, The STAR reported that Spanish aircraft manufacturer Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence & Space) won the bidding for the acquisition of three medium-lift fixed-wing aircraft.

Airbus offered to supply the planes for P5.29 billion, well within the P5.3-billion approved budget for the contract.

The first of the three planes arrived in Clark, Pampanga last March 22.

Training of the first batch of Air Force pilots and maintenance crew was completed last March 10 in Seville. Training for airmen who would handle the two C295 planes will continue this year.

“The two other C295s are expected in 2016 but earlier delivery is a possibility,” Canaya said.

A C295 plane can carry up to 71 passengers, 50 paratroops and 24 stretchers with five to seven attendants, or up to 20,000 pounds of cargo. It is also capable of short field landing and takeoff.

Canaya said the air asset has a rear ramp door similar to that of C130 cargo planes for easier access and loading and unloading of passengers and cargo.

“It can augment the type missions performed by the C130s for lesser payload requirements,” the Air Force spokesman said in an earlier statement.