Airbus Defence and Space has signed an agreement with King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) and ATK for conversion of a C295 tactical transport aircraft into a gunship version for Jordan.
Signed at the ongoing Eurosatory 2014 in Paris, the agreement will see the companies working together to develop an AC-295 gunship version for the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF).
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The configuration is expected to be based on the AC-235 light gunship, which features integrated mission and fire control systems, electro-optical and radar sensors, Hellfire missiles, ATK-built side-mounted M230 30mm chain gun, an integrated defensive suite, as well as 2.75in guided rockets.
Airbus Military Aircraft commercial head Antonio Rodriguez Barberan said the agreement will result in a cost-effective and powerful addition to the Jordan Armed Forces.
Jordan Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein was quoted by DefenseNews as saying that the AC-295 gunship offers enhanced performance and endurance compared with other smaller aircraft, and also has an air-to-air refuelling capability.
"The weapons are essentially the same but the bigger fuselage gives us greater flexibility for incorporating sensors and other systems," Al Hussein said.
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By GlobalDataThe new gunship will join the two AC235 gunships delivered by ATK to RJAF during the 2014 Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Conference (SOFEX), held in May in Amman, Jordan.
A stretched derivative of the CN-235 transporter, the C-295 is designed to perform tactical airlift, search-and-rescue (SAR), maritime patrol and environmental surveillance missions.
Capable of conducting short take-offs and landing on semi-prepared runways, the aircraft has a high-wing, rear-loader design that enables easy loading of mission pallets, passengers, cargo and litters for medical evacuation, communication and logistic duties or paratrooping operations.
The medium-sized tactical airlifter has also been sold to Algeria, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
Image: The new C-295 gunship will join the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s existing two AC235 gunships. Photo: courtesy of PRNewsFoto/ATK.
