The Ministry of Defence of Burkina Faso has placed a firm order for one Airbus C295 military airlifter, Airbus said in a statement. As part of its 2018-2022 Military Acquisition Law, the Burkina Faso Air Force will reinforce its military transport capabilities by joining the family of Airbus C295 operators. The C295 is adapted to perform in the harsh sub-Saharan Africa operating environment. Together with its affordable maintenance and operational costs, the C295 is the perfect match for the climatic conditions of Burkina Faso, according to the company.
Bernhard Brenner, Head of Marketing and Sales for Airbus Defence and Space, said: “We are very proud to see that with Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, Ivory Coast and now Burkina Faso, the C295 is becoming the 21st Century’s standard tactical airlifter in Africa, with 36 aircraft operating in the region.”
This procurement comes under the Burkinabe Military Programming Law covering the period 2018–22, which the country’s parliament approved in 2017 with a budget of FCFA725 billion (USD1.2 billion) to reform and re-equip the armed forces. No specific timeline for delivery was disclosed. The new aircraft will fill a long-standing capability gap within the Burkinabe Air Force, which has lacked a dedicated transport aircraft since its single PTDI NC235-220 was grounded several years ago.
The EADS CASA C-295, now designated Airbus C295, is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft currently manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. The aircraft is a development of the Spanish–Indonesian transport aircraft CASA/IPTN CN-235, but with a stretched fuselage, 50% more payload capability and new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprop engines. The aircraft has received orders from military and civil operators all over the world, from Canada and Egypt to Spain and Indonesia. The C-295 is currently in service with the armed forces of more than 15 countries.
