The Brazilian Air Force (Força Aerea Brasileira, FAB) received, on December 9, 2020, the third SC-105 (Airbus C-295) aircraft, produced by Airbus Spain. The delivery ceremony, which took place in Seville, Spain, was chaired by the Director-General of the Airspace Control Department (DECEA), Lt. Brig. Heraldo Luiz Rodrigues, accompanied by the President of the Coordinating Committee of the Combat Aircraft Program (COPAC), Major-Brigadier of Air Valter Borges Malta, of the Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of Brazil in Madrid, Leandro Zenni Estevão, other military personnel and employees of Airbus Spain. The SC-105 is a dedicated Search and Rescue variant of the C295. Serial 6552 with construction number 195, will join 6550 and 6551 already in use with will be operated by the Second Squadron of the Tenth Aviation Group (2nd / 10th GAV), the Pelicano (Pelican) squadron at Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul state.
The new aircraft is the third unit from an order of three that were placed on order by the Air Force in 2014 at a total contract cost of $215.1 million. The first aircraft was delivered in June 2017 and the second aircraft was delivered in November 2019. The three new aircraft will feature an electro-optical system for search in the visible and infra-red spectrum that enables detection of aircraft hidden by foliage of a person in sea. The aircraft will have search and rescue equipment to locate aircraft, boats or missing crew for both day and night operations. The aircraft will be fitted with EL / M-2022A (V) 3 radar capable of surface searches on land and sea to a range of up to 360 Km and a satellite communication system to allow contact with other aircraft for rescue missions. The aircraft are also outfitted with the Thales TopDeck avionics suite. They can also embark paratroopers and a load master; or a loadmaster to launch lifeboats or supplies to survivors.
The EADS CASA C-295 is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space in Spain, and Indonesian Aerospace in Indonesia as CN-295. It 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 C-295’s main competitor is the C-27J Spartan, manufactured initially by Alenia Aeronautica (2006-2012) and Alenia Aermacchi (2012-2016) and now by Leonardo S.p.A..[10] The C-295 was a major bidder for the US Army–US Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) programme but lost to the L-3 Communications/Alenia team for the C-27J in June 2007.[11] The C-295 was considered a higher risk by the US Army due to its use of a new operational mode to meet altitude and range requirements.[12] Among other contracts the C-295 lost to the C-27J are the Peruvian Air Force’s Antonov An-32s’ replacement and the Royal Australian Air Force’s retired de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribous’ replacement.
