Brazil has ordered an additional Airbus C295 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft that will eventually take to 15 the number of C295s in service with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).

This latest order constitutes the firming of an option included in an earlier contract in 2014. It was signed at the end of last year and will therefore be included in the 2017 order book.  The three SAR aircraft will serve alongside 12 transport-configured C295s already delivered.

The first of the three SAR aircraft was delivered last year and performed a successful five week tour through four continents before arriving in Brazil. The aircraft demonstrated its maritime patrol and search and rescue capabilities in a wide range of environments and recorded 100% availability during the tour.

The second FAB C295 SAR will be delivered in 2019 and the third in 2020.

More than 200 C295s have now been ordered by 26 countries. In the Latin American region, more than 100 Airbus military transport aircraft of all kinds are now in operation.

The Airbus C295 is a new generation tactical airlifter in the light and medium segment. It is robust and reliable but also highly versatile in terms of the number of different missions it can perform.

The C295W conducts multi-role operations worldwide under all weather conditions. It is fully certified and routinely operates day and night in combat missions in all weather extremes, from desert to maritime environments, from extreme hot to extreme cold temperatures.

Now, with the new C295W version equipped with winglets, the aircraft is capable of transporting more payload over larger distances in the hot and high conditions typical of various countries included in this tour of the region, resulting in fuel savings of around 4% and increased safety margins in mountainous regions.

Today’s Armed Forces have increasing demands for various air transport missions. And no matter what the requirements for an operation are, the C295 stands ready to conduct its mission successfully.