The Royal Thai Navy has acquired two Airbus C295 in an enhanced transport configuration that will enable surveillance and Search and Rescue missions, on top of the logistic operations for Thailand.
Airbus press release
This order follows the recent contract with the Royal Thai Air Force for two C295s and adds on the three aircraft already operated by the Royal Thai Army, performing cargo and troop transport missions since 2016. The C295 has become the tactical transport aircraft of reference for the Thai Armed Forces.
The two C295s for the Thai Navy, which will be operated from the U-Tapao air base in Sattahip, will be able to detect, classify, and identify targets at sea or on land, operating effectively in both day and night conditions as they will be equipped with an Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) sensor suite.
The aircraft will be assembled at the Airbus Defence and Space facilities in Seville, Spain, with the first delivery scheduled by the end of 2028.
A total of 90 C295s have been ordered by seven countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The C295 is the global leader in its segment, holding 85% of the market share with 335 orders from 39 countries across four continents. To date, the global C295 fleet has achieved 750,000 flight hours.
