Airbus C295 In Malaysia For Asian Tour

PETALING JAYA (Selangor, Malaysia), July 10 (Bernama) -- The Airbus advanced C295 maritime surveillance aircraft has arrived in Malaysia as part of its two-week tour of Asia. Airbus head of intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) and tactical aircraft marketing, Fernando Ciria said the aircraft was currently on display at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Subang base. He said during its tour, the C295 would demonstrate its advanced ISR capabilities as well as its versatility and suitability for potential operators, especially in the Asian region. "The C295 offers a state-of-the-art mission system, lower operating and life cycle costs and an early delivery schedule. "Its versatile cabin configuration allows easy and fast switching from one mission to another. It also features an endurance of more than 10 hours, high manoeuvrability, low-level flying capability and a wide rear ramp," he told reporters, here Monday. "For Malaysia, this makes it the best option for maritime patrol and surveillance, protection of territorial waters, and anti-submarine warfare missions. "The C295 also can work with other military assets to gather and disseminate real-time information such as images, reports and tracks that are collected during the flight. “This makes it ideal for inter-agency cooperation within Malaysia and for potential joint patrols with the country's neighbours.” He said RMAF also operated the CN235 transport aircraft, the C295 predecessor. "The commonality between the two types potentially leads to an easy crew transition and even lower operating costs in the future. "After this, the C295 is expected to visit the Philippines and South Korea before flying to Canada, the United States and Mexico," Ciria said. The C295 is able to carry up to nine tonnes of payload, or up to 71 personnel, with maximum cruise speed of 260 kt /480 km/h. The plane, fitted with a retractable landing gear and a pressurised cabin, can cruise at altitudes up to 25,000 ft, while retaining remarkable short take-off and landing performance from unprepared short, soft and rough airstrips, as well as low-level flight characteristics. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA