SATISFIED CUSTOMER A Brazilian Air Force C295 on a civil support mission somewhere in Amazonia
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus Military does not see its home continent as its major market in the coming years. “Europe will not be the driver of our sales and the driver of our strategy in the years to come,” company head of light and medium aircraft and derivatives programmes Rafael Tentor has affirmed. “This is because of the prospects for European economies and defence spending. There are shrinking military budgets in Europe and the [United] States. But in the rest of the world, there are plenty of opportunities.”
The Airbus Military product line comprises the CN235, C295, A400M and the A330 MRTT (multirole tanker transport) aircraft. The C212 light transport is still available, but the entire production line has been moved to Indonesia, and all future production will be carried out there by Airbus Military strategic partner PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI). The aircraft has been upgraded by the European and Indonesian companies and will, from now on, be designated the NC212. It has a payload capacity of some 3 t or 25 person-nel. Deliveries total 477, of which 285 are still in service.
The CN235 (which was developed in a joint project with Indonesia and uses subassemblies from PTDI, hence the ‘N’ in the designation) can carry a payload of up to 6 t or 51 personnel, and, as of last month, 273 had been delivered, of which 239 were in operation. The C295 can carry up to 9 t of cargo or 71 personnel. The 100th C295 was delivered at the Paris Air Show, at Le Bourget, last month to Oman. There are also unarmed maritime surveillance versions of both types, as well as an armed antisubmarine warfare version of the C295. All these versions are in operational service.
Further, Airbus Military is developing an airborne early-warning version of the C295 and has also developed an improved model of the basic C295, the C295W (see Engineering News June 14, 2013). A gunship version of the C295, with a cannon firing out of the side of the fuselage, is under consideration.
The A400M is a multirole tactical/strategic/tanker aircraft with a payload of up to 37 t. The contractual requirement is a payload of 32 t, giving the company a margin of 5 t for configurable equipment – equipment that not all customers will want or require. (For more on the A400M, see Engineering News July 12, 2013.)
The A330 MRTT is a strategic transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft based on the Airbus A330-200 airliner. It can carry 111 t of fuel, plus 45 t of cargo or 300 personnel (or a combination of cargo and personnel). To date, 28 have been ordered, of which 16 have been delivered to four air forces – the UK Royal Air Force (which calls the aircraft the Voyager), the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Saudi Air Force and the United Arab Emirates Air Force. All are in operation.
“In all, we have sold 1 086 aircraft to 138 customers in 66 countries over the past ten years,” reported Tentor. “Our bread and butter is the CN235 and C295. Brazil has a real interest in buying a second batch of C295s. They are very satisfied with the aircraft. The US Coast Guard, [which operates the CN235 in maritime surveillance configuration as the HC-144 Ocean Sentry], is really satisfied with the product, and wants additional units. Poland requires additional [C295] units. And, of course, we are working new markets, such as sub-Saharan Africa: for example, Cameroon. We have concluded a deal with Ghana. “Also the Middle East – Oman, Egypt (a repeat order). Asia: Indonesia is our main target there for the time being. We have so far sold nine aircraft. We are betting on Indonesia. “We are planning to establish an FAL (final assembly line for the C295 there, depending on the business case. New Zealand is another potential customer.”
Another potential market is India. But any deal with India would be complicated by that country’s desire that some 60% of the content of the winning design be manufactured in India. The European company is already holding talks with Indian enterprises and has been impressed by their profes-sionalism. A further possible customer is South Africa – preliminary talks have taken place.
“We intend to capture 50% to 75% of the world market in medium to light [aircraft],” he affirmed. “We have proven aircraft in service worldwide. We are receiving repeat orders. We have a low-risk solution. We have the best economy in the class; we have the lowest lifecycle costs.”
As for the A330 MRTT, Tentor pointed out it has demonstrated the availability levels of an airliner – about 98%. “We have very good prospects. “It has been selected by India – an initial batch of six, with options. And by France. We have a second wave of customers and we also see a brilliant future for this product.”