Spain’s new C295 Search and Rescue Aircraft first flight launches test campaign
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Airbus says the first C295 search and rescue aircraft for the Spanish Air and Space Force completed its maiden systems-check flight from the Seville final assembly line on November 12, 2025. The sortie keeps Spain’s MSA and MPA recapitalization on track, replacing CN235 VIGMA aircraft from Gando’s 46 Wing with deliveries starting in 2026.
On 12 November 2025, Airbus confirmed on X the inaugural flight of Spain’s new C295 in search and rescue configuration after a short test hop from its San Pablo, Seville line, the next milestone in a program launched in December 2023 to renew maritime surveillance and patrol fleets under a 1.695 billion euro contract for 16 aircraft in MSA and MPA variants. The first Spanish C295 MSA rolled out on July 30 and was slated to fly before year’s end, a schedule that held with today’s ops check. Initial deliveries are planned from 2026 to begin replacing CN235 VIGMA platforms operated by 46 Wing at Gando.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
In July 2019, Airbus flew the first C295 destined for the Canadian Air Force’s SAR mission. (Picture source: Airbus)
Within the C295 ecosystem, the manufacturer presents the platform as the most versatile and efficient multi-role tactical transport aircraft, intended for troop and cargo transport, maritime patrol, warning, surveillance and reconnaissance, signals intelligence, close air support, medical evacuation, VIP transport, and airborne firefighting. With more than 300 aircraft under contract and a daily reliability record, the C295 family serves armed forces, governments, and NGOs on several continents. The latest figures released by Airbus indicate 311 orders, 239 deliveries, and 236 aircraft in service, a base of experience relevant to a Spanish SAR variant.
At the core of this configuration is Airbus Defence and Space’s Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS), the mission backbone that fuses radar, electro-optical/infrared turret, AIS, and direction-finding on modular consoles. In the body of the article, the Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) appears again as the tool that turns sensor streams into usable tracks and reduces crew workload. In practice, it establishes and shares a maritime picture, Recognized Maritime Picture/Common Operating Picture (RMP/COP) with rescue coordination centers and surface units, while managing the data links that underpin interoperability. Early flights prioritize basic aeronautics and systems validation; subsequent sorties progressively integrate the full mission suite and communications gateways.
Three parameters summarize the airframe’s suitability for long-duration rescue tasks. First, payload, up to eight tonnes or 70 personnel; second, endurance, reaching 13 hours depending on fuel configuration; third, winglets now standard, which improve take-off performance in hot-and-high conditions and cut overall fuel burn by roughly 3 to 6 percent. The unobstructed 12.69-meter pressurized cabin and rear ramp facilitate rapid reconfiguration between pallets, survival kits, MEDEVAC (medical evacuation) equipment or mission modules, matching the variable tempo of maritime alerts.
Propulsion is provided by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G engines. This turboprop pair, known for fuel economy and availability, provides the handling needed for low-altitude searches, where slow-flight stability and speed control determine identification and drop accuracy. The C295 cruises at about 260 knots at maximum and climbs to 30,000 ft while retaining short take-off and landing qualities on austere airstrips. In the cockpit, Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion avionics, with four 14.1-inch touchscreens, night-vision-goggle compatibility and compliance with civil and military requirements (ADS-B Out, TCAS II v7.1, CPDLC, LNAV/VNAV modes), helps reduce heads-down time and supports precise trajectories.
The Spanish search and rescue (SAR) version extends coverage and time on station in constrained sectors: the Atlantic, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Western Mediterranean. Endurance allows large search boxes to be sanitized without immediate relief, and the rear ramp enables direct delivery of life rafts and assistance loads. Large observation windows support visual sweeps at dawn or in rough seas. When discretion is required, EMCON (emissions control) postures remain available, while the communications architecture feeds the RMP/COP with track quality sufficient to guide vessels of the Guardia Civil, Salvamento Marítimo or NATO partners. STOL performance shortens transits by enabling forward detachments on simple airstrips; palletized kit logic accelerates switches between SAR, surveillance, and medical evacuation.
Beyond the Spanish lot, the breadth of the C295 family underpins this flexibility. In addition to the Tactical Transporter and the Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA), Airbus offers a Maritime Patrol Aircraft/Anti-Submarine Warfare (MPA/ASW) version, an Armed/ISR variant for support and interdiction, a long-endurance SIGINT configuration, an air-to-air refuelling kit able to deliver up to 5,000 kg, MEDEVAC layouts and a Fire Fighter configuration for water drops. For Spain’s base industrielle et technologique de défense (BITD), activity in Seville supports the systems-integration and mission-avionics sector, creates room for offset arrangements and prepares future increments across the fleet.
This first flight takes place against a backdrop of irregular migration flows, maritime trafficking and increased safety obligations under the European Union and NATO on the southern flank. A SAR capability with long endurance and an open architecture improves day-to-day burden sharing at sea, supports interoperability and facilitates the construction of a common maritime picture. As deliveries begin in 2026, the Spanish MSA/MPA pairing provides a credible, exportable and coalition-compatible response without relying on heavier and more costly platforms.
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Airbus says the first C295 search and rescue aircraft for the Spanish Air and Space Force completed its maiden systems-check flight from the Seville final assembly line on November 12, 2025. The sortie keeps Spain’s MSA and MPA recapitalization on track, replacing CN235 VIGMA aircraft from Gando’s 46 Wing with deliveries starting in 2026.
On 12 November 2025, Airbus confirmed on X the inaugural flight of Spain’s new C295 in search and rescue configuration after a short test hop from its San Pablo, Seville line, the next milestone in a program launched in December 2023 to renew maritime surveillance and patrol fleets under a 1.695 billion euro contract for 16 aircraft in MSA and MPA variants. The first Spanish C295 MSA rolled out on July 30 and was slated to fly before year’s end, a schedule that held with today’s ops check. Initial deliveries are planned from 2026 to begin replacing CN235 VIGMA platforms operated by 46 Wing at Gando.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
In July 2019, Airbus flew the first C295 destined for the Canadian Air Force’s SAR mission. (Picture source: Airbus)
Within the C295 ecosystem, the manufacturer presents the platform as the most versatile and efficient multi-role tactical transport aircraft, intended for troop and cargo transport, maritime patrol, warning, surveillance and reconnaissance, signals intelligence, close air support, medical evacuation, VIP transport, and airborne firefighting. With more than 300 aircraft under contract and a daily reliability record, the C295 family serves armed forces, governments, and NGOs on several continents. The latest figures released by Airbus indicate 311 orders, 239 deliveries, and 236 aircraft in service, a base of experience relevant to a Spanish SAR variant.
At the core of this configuration is Airbus Defence and Space’s Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS), the mission backbone that fuses radar, electro-optical/infrared turret, AIS, and direction-finding on modular consoles. In the body of the article, the Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) appears again as the tool that turns sensor streams into usable tracks and reduces crew workload. In practice, it establishes and shares a maritime picture, Recognized Maritime Picture/Common Operating Picture (RMP/COP) with rescue coordination centers and surface units, while managing the data links that underpin interoperability. Early flights prioritize basic aeronautics and systems validation; subsequent sorties progressively integrate the full mission suite and communications gateways.
Three parameters summarize the airframe’s suitability for long-duration rescue tasks. First, payload, up to eight tonnes or 70 personnel; second, endurance, reaching 13 hours depending on fuel configuration; third, winglets now standard, which improve take-off performance in hot-and-high conditions and cut overall fuel burn by roughly 3 to 6 percent. The unobstructed 12.69-meter pressurized cabin and rear ramp facilitate rapid reconfiguration between pallets, survival kits, MEDEVAC (medical evacuation) equipment or mission modules, matching the variable tempo of maritime alerts.
Propulsion is provided by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G engines. This turboprop pair, known for fuel economy and availability, provides the handling needed for low-altitude searches, where slow-flight stability and speed control determine identification and drop accuracy. The C295 cruises at about 260 knots at maximum and climbs to 30,000 ft while retaining short take-off and landing qualities on austere airstrips. In the cockpit, Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion avionics, with four 14.1-inch touchscreens, night-vision-goggle compatibility and compliance with civil and military requirements (ADS-B Out, TCAS II v7.1, CPDLC, LNAV/VNAV modes), helps reduce heads-down time and supports precise trajectories.
The Spanish search and rescue (SAR) version extends coverage and time on station in constrained sectors: the Atlantic, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Western Mediterranean. Endurance allows large search boxes to be sanitized without immediate relief, and the rear ramp enables direct delivery of life rafts and assistance loads. Large observation windows support visual sweeps at dawn or in rough seas. When discretion is required, EMCON (emissions control) postures remain available, while the communications architecture feeds the RMP/COP with track quality sufficient to guide vessels of the Guardia Civil, Salvamento Marítimo or NATO partners. STOL performance shortens transits by enabling forward detachments on simple airstrips; palletized kit logic accelerates switches between SAR, surveillance, and medical evacuation.
Beyond the Spanish lot, the breadth of the C295 family underpins this flexibility. In addition to the Tactical Transporter and the Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA), Airbus offers a Maritime Patrol Aircraft/Anti-Submarine Warfare (MPA/ASW) version, an Armed/ISR variant for support and interdiction, a long-endurance SIGINT configuration, an air-to-air refuelling kit able to deliver up to 5,000 kg, MEDEVAC layouts and a Fire Fighter configuration for water drops. For Spain’s base industrielle et technologique de défense (BITD), activity in Seville supports the systems-integration and mission-avionics sector, creates room for offset arrangements and prepares future increments across the fleet.
This first flight takes place against a backdrop of irregular migration flows, maritime trafficking and increased safety obligations under the European Union and NATO on the southern flank. A SAR capability with long endurance and an open architecture improves day-to-day burden sharing at sea, supports interoperability and facilitates the construction of a common maritime picture. As deliveries begin in 2026, the Spanish MSA/MPA pairing provides a credible, exportable and coalition-compatible response without relying on heavier and more costly platforms.
