TSAMTO, June 28. As reported by TSAMTO, commenting on the conclusion of the contract for the supply of the third BTA C-295 aircraft from Thailand, representatives of Airbus Defense and Space reported that it follows the recently signed agreement for the supply of three aircraft of this type to an unnamed customer in the Asia-Pacific region.
Military observers and experts put forward various assumptions about the customer of the aircraft. So, Defense News, citing anonymous sources, reports that an unnamed customer from the Asia-Pacific region had previously purchased a C-295. This information allows you to narrow down the list of potential buyers to three: Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The secrecy of the acquisition, according to the publication, indicates that the customer is Vietnam, which purchased three new C-295 aircraft in 2014 after the decommissioning of An-26 aircraft.
The C-295s delivered to Vietnam are operated together with three NC-212s. The proposed delivery of three additional aircraft will expand the capabilities of the Vietnamese Air Force to transport cargo and transport troops.
The country is one of six states contesting the right to own the Spratly Islands, and also claims its rights to the Paracel Islands. C-295s can be used to supply several Vietnamese outposts in the region, as well as to perform other functions, including providing assistance to victims of natural disasters.
According to TSAMTO, it is also necessary to take into account the possibility of buying C-295 for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, given the allocation in May by the government of this country for the implementation of the program for the supply of medium-sized aircraft in the amount of 2.64 billion Philippine pesos. The program provides for the purchase of three platforms. The first 264 million Philippine pesos were allocated for this project in September 2020.
In addition to the air forces of the three above-mentioned countries of the Asia-Pacific region, another 28 countries of the world operate C-295 aircraft or have placed orders for their delivery.
