The signing of the contract between Spain’s Ministry of Defence and Airbus Defence and Space for the acquisition of 18 new C295 tactical transport aircraft marks a turning point in the structural evolution of the Spanish Air and Space Force. More than a simple replacement purchase, the agreement formalises a strategy aimed at fleet harmonisation, logistical rationalisation and doctrinal renewal in the light tactical airlift and operational training segment.

With this order, Spain increases its total C295 fleet to 46 aircraft across different configurations—transport, maritime surveillance, maritime patrol, and now training and parachute drop missions—consolidating the type as the backbone of the country’s light tactical airlift capability for at least the next two decades.

Scope of the contract and induction scheme

The agreement covers the acquisition of 18 C295 aircraft in transport configuration, divided into two clearly differentiated batches:

  • First batch (12 aircraft): allocated to the Military Air Transport School (EMTA) at Matacán Air Base, where they will replace the CN235 aircraft currently in service. These units will perform training, personnel transport, paratroop and cargo missions.
  • Second batch (6 aircraft): assigned to the Military Parachuting School (EMP) at Alcantarilla, focused on manual and automatic parachute and cargo drops, replacing the ageing C212 Aviocar fleet.

Deliveries of the first batch are scheduled between 2026 and 2028, while the second group will enter service between 2030 and 2032, enabling a phased transition without operational disruption.

The contract also includes a comprehensive training and support package, featuring flight simulators, computer-based training systems, instructional management software, and a logistics and maintenance support framework extending through December 2032.

What improvements does the C295 bring over the CN235 and C212?

In its transport configuration, the C295 offers capabilities that are significantly superior to those of the aircraft it replaces:

  • Payload capacity: up to 70 troops or 50 paratroopers, with greater usable volume and internal flexibility.
  • True STOL performance: take-off and landing from short, unprepared runways, with safety margins superior to the CN235 and far exceeding those of the C212.
  • Increased endurance and persistence: well suited for extended training missions, tactical navigation and light airlift.
  • State-of-the-art digital avionics: featuring an open architecture, advanced navigation, secure military communications and provision for data links and SATCOM.
  • Self-protection readiness: designed to accommodate both active and passive defensive systems, in line with contemporary standards, even for advanced training platforms.
CASA (now part of Airbus) C-212 Aviocar of the Spanish Air Force.
CASA (now part of Airbus) C-212 Aviocar of the Spanish Air Force.

From a doctrinal perspective, the C295 enables crews to train in an environment much closer to that of modern tactical aircraft, significantly narrowing the gap between basic training and real-world operational employment.

Furthermore, commonality with the C295s already operated by Spain in transport, SAR/MSA and MPA roles drastically reduces training, maintenance and spare parts management costs—an efficiency that was unattainable with the previously fragmented C212 and CN235 fleet.

Spain buys 16 C295 aircraft from Airbus for €1.695 million for maritime control

Spain, fertile ground for Airbus to put down deep roots

The assembly of the aircraft in Seville and the involvement of Spanish companies such as Indra, CESA, Aernnova, Aciturri and Alestis reinforce the programme’s immediate industrial dimension. However, the true significance of the decision extends well beyond its short-term impact on the supply chain. The signing of the 18-aircraft C295 contract is part of a sustained Spanish state strategy aimed at anchoring Airbus’s production, technological and design capabilities on national soil, using major acquisition programmes as an industrial lever.

When viewed alongside other recent decisions—most notably Spain’s massive helicopter procurement from Airbus Helicopters, with production, customisation, training and technological development centred in Albacete—the pattern becomes clear. Spain is not merely acquiring proven platforms; it is purchasing workload, retaining critical know-how and consolidating long-term industrial hubs, both in fixed-wing and rotary-wing aviation.

Spain formalizes the largest helicopter purchase in its history with Airbus Helicopters

Within this framework, the C295 fulfils a dual role. Operationally, it consolidates a common, mature platform fully integrated into the Spanish Air and Space Force ecosystem, optimising training, sustainment and doctrine. Industrially, it guarantees volume, continuity and predictability for the Seville assembly line, strengthening its position within the broader European structure of Airbus Defence and Space.

This is therefore not a simple fleet replacement decision. Spain is making an explicit bet on becoming a reference European aerospace hub, capable not only of operating advanced systems, but also of producing, sustaining and evolving them from within its own territory. In this context, programmes such as the C295—alongside the NH90, the H145M and the future H175M—function as industrial pillars as much as military tools.

The acquisition of the new C295s may not come as a surprise, but it carries deep structural implications. It reinforces the operational coherence of the Spanish Air and Space Force while consolidating an industrial policy focused on technological sovereignty, highly qualified employment and the long-term retention of critical capabilities. In that balance between military necessity and strategic interest, the C295 once again proves why it is a reference platform—and why Spain has decided that its future will be built, to a large extent, on home soil.