The Diplomat
The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., presided this Tuesday, at the Clark Air Base in the city of Mabalacat, Pampanga, the joint ceremony of acceptance, delivery and blessing of the C295 medium transport aircraft of the Airbus company, assembled in Spain.
The ceremony was attended, together with several Philippine officials, the Spanish Ambassador in Manila, Miguel Utray Delgado, senior military officials and representatives of Airbus Defense and Space.
As explained during the ceremony by Lieutenant General Stephen Parreno, Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), the “new generation” aircraft is the third and last C295 unit delivered by the Spanish company Airbus Defense and Space, as part of the medium-lift aircraft acquisition project included in the revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernisation programme.
The PAF ordered three units of the C295 from Airbus Defense and Space in 2019 to further enhance its airlift capabilities, for a total amount of Php5.288 billion (just over €93 million).
The first of these units was delivered to the PAF on 28 March 2022, and the second on 1 November of the same year. In 2016, the Philippines already purchased a batch of three C295M military transport aircraft and a fourth for VIP transport.
The C295 medium transport aircraft is intended for short- and medium-range military transport and is capable of performing a wide variety of flight missions.
The PAF chief thanked the Government of the Philippines for its “commitment to support the troops” and the Spanish Government for its “dedication to fulfil its obligations”.
Lt Gen Parreno said the new aircraft “will enhance the Philippine Air Force’s ability to provide rapid and sustained air mobility operations in support of troop transport, resupply missions, casualty evacuations, medical evacuations, aerial reconnaissance, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations”.
