The aircraft is the first of eight ordered last year by the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) and is configured for tactical transport operations. It will be used for initial training at Seville, Spain, where it was assembled, before transferring to Oman later in the year.
The RAFO has ordered a combination of aircraft in transport and maritime patrol configurations, the latter featuring Airbus Military’s proprietary Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS). The associated integrated logistic system (ILS) support package contracted by Oman also includes a full-flight simulator to be delivered next year.
A total of 121 C295s has been ordered and it is in service in 15 countries with which it has accumulated more than 150,000 flight hours in the most demanding conditions from extreme cold to hot deserts, as well as low-level maritime operations. Seven customers have placed repeat orders, cementing the C295’s position as the clear market leader in its segment.