The Angolan Air Force has taken delivery of three C295 maritime surveillance aircraft from Airbus to be used for search and rescue, maritime traffic control, and other duties.
Angolan officials say the planes also will be equipped and used to gather intelligence and monitor illegal fishing.
The Air Force ordered the three planes in 2018 at a cost of $188 million, according to defenceWeb. One reportedly was built in a transport configuration, and the other two were configured for maritime surveillance. The surveillance aircraft have tactical avionic systems that include search radar, electro-optical sensors and anomaly detectors. Weapons can include torpedoes, missiles, mines and depth charges.
The Airbus C295 is a medium-range twin-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA. Airbus says it has sold 230 units worldwide. The aircraft is 25 meters long with a 26-meter wingspan. It has a top-mounted wing for maximum visibility, is designed for rugged conditions, and can take off and land on short airstrips.
Angola’s Air Force consists mostly of transport and cargo planes, used for moving supplies, equipment and personnel within the country. “The active fleet’s main role has often been transport and logistics, vital for connecting the vast country,” GlobalMilitary.net reports.
Airbus says other African countries that operate or have ordered the C295 aircraft are Algeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Mali and Senegal.