The Chilean Navy purchases EADS CASA C-295 aircraft
The Chilean Navy has purchased three (3) units of the EADS CASA maritime surveillance aircraft C-295 with an option for another five (5). They will be used to survey maritime areas of national interest and to safeguard human lives at sea.
EADS CASA has a very important presence in Latin America since late 70s. Twenty (20) operators in 16 countries from Chile to Mexico fly EADS CASA aircraft.
Chile has a very special significance for EADS CASA because it was the first export customer of the former CASA. The C-212 aircraft were the first to be purchased by Chile in 1978, and were first operated by the Navy and the Army. In the 80s, the Chilean Air Force purchased C-101s jet trainers, and later incorporated several C-212s in its inventory. The medium transport aircraft CN-235 was also purchased by Chile and operated by the Army since 1989. The three Forces operate EADS CASA aircraft, and their number has increased to make Chile one of the most important operators of EADS CASA aircraft in the world.
With these three new generation C-295s, EADS CASA has an order book of 58 aircraft to 8 different operators, 37 of which are already in service, accumulating more than 35.000 flight hours.
The C-295 is complementary to heavier airlifters such as the A400M and the C-130, since it can substitute them with advantage on a significant number of missions, being its operating costs only one third.
The C-295 for the Chilean Navy will be equipped with Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS), and the most advanced equipment and systems. The FITS is a modern mission system fully designed and developed by EADS CASA that has been designed to successfully perform a large number of missions ranging from maritime surveillance and SAR to the most complex and sophisticated ones.
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