The ship is introduced at the Special Forces Equipment Seminar SOFINS 2021, with Roketsan production L-UMTAS, Cirit missiles and TEBER-82 intelligent guidance kit.
Armed platforms developed from transport aircraft have been providing Close Air Support (CAS) to ground troops for many years. The first example of this type was the AC-130, developed from the C-130 Hercules in the Vietnam War.
Airbus developed the C295 aircraft for CAS and Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The C295 made its first test flight with eight laser-guided missiles and two laser-guided bombs under the wing. In this flight, the effects of the aerodynamic and mechanical integration of different weapon configurations were tested.
In addition to the underwing load, the C295 also has a 27 mm machine gun integrated into the fuselage.
The plane can stay in the air for 8 hours. With a 400 nautical miles (approximately 740 km) mission radius, the C295 can extend its mission duration and range with aerial refueling.
Roketsan provides ammunition support to this project. The high firepower of the C295 is created by the L-UMTAS laser-guided long-range anti-tank missile. Developed for use in attack helicopters, L-UMTAS finds its target with a laser seeker head.
Cirit is laser guided missile and offers a high-precision and cost-effective solution used against lightly armored/unarmored, fixed and moving targets.
The TEBER Laser Guidance Kit installed in to the Mk-82 general purpose bomb. TEBER-82 has a high presicion strike feature.
Airbus unveiled the project at the Dubai Airshow 2017. In addition to Roketsan, Expal, Escribano and Equipaer of Spain, as well as Rheinmetall of Germany, and the US suppliers Nobles Worldwide and US Ordnance provide support for the armed model of the C295.
