The Czech Air Force (Vzdušné síly) has received the second of two additional CASA C295MW airlifters it ordered from Airbus in December 2019. The Czech military takes over four aircraft from a Spanish manufacturer in 2010. The aircraft landed at the Prague–Kbely airport on July 28 and is expected to immediately start operations, which will include the transport of soldiers, material, as well as medical missions. The service’s sixth airlifter was delivered in the new C295MW version (M standing for modernized and W for winglet), which features winglets in order to be able to transport more payload over larger distances in the hot and high conditions.
The Czech Air Force has signed a contract for the acquisition of two additional Airbus C295MW medium airlifters. The aircraft, equipped with military winglets and ordered in transport configuration, are due to be delivered in the first half of 2021. The agreement takes the Czech Air Force’s total C295M fleet up to six aircraft. Together with this agreement, an additional contract was also signed for the upgrade of the four C295s currently in operation with the Czech Air Force. All four C-295Ms are operated by the 242nd Transport Squadron from the 24th Transport Air Base in Kbely, Prague, together with 4 L-410UVP-E Tubolets.
The CASA C-295 is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed by the Spanish company CASA in the 1990s as a development of the CASA-Nurtanio CN-235. When CASA was incorporated into the European aeronautical group EADS in 2000, the aircraft was designated as the EADS CASA C-295. It made its first flight on 28 November 1997 and entered service with the Spanish Air Force in 2001. The C-295 is capable of performing a wide variety of missions effectively: tactical and logistical transport, parachute and cargo drop, medical evacuation, and maritime patrol. It has been acquired by various nations and it has participated in numerous military operations.
