The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) will upgrade its search and rescue (SAR), logistics, and surveillance capabilities with the acquisition of two new fixed-wing Airbus C295 aircraft.
The RTN already operates three of the twin-prop short take-off and landing (STOL) planes, which it has used since 2016 for cargo and troop transport missions.
The two new planes are being acquired in an “enhanced transport configuration” and will be built at Airbus’ Defence and Space campus in Seville, with the first new plane due to be delivered before the end of 2028.
As per an Airbus statement, the new planes will come equipped with an Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) sensor suite, and are likely to be chiefly used for SAR missions as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
The press statement noted: “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.”
The twin-piloted aircraft are 24.5m long, with a wingspan of almost 26m. They have a maximum payload of 9.25 tonnes, and in medevac configuration can carry 24 stretchers and 7 attendants; in troop-carrying mode they can accommodate up to 71 soldiers or 48 paratroopers plus kit.
They have an operational ceiling of 25,000ft, a range of almost 1,500 miles, and cruise at up to 260 knots. The planes also come in armed ISR and maritime patrol configurations; the former can carry laser-guided weapons and the latter torpedoes, depth charges, and anti-surface missiles.
- You can read more details about the deal on the Airbus website