Parked next to the armed C295
was a Saudi General Security
Aviation Command (GSAC)
C295W, complete with full ISR
kit. Mounted under the nose is an
MX-20 EO/IR turret, behind the nose
wheel door a radar, on top of the
fuselage a SATCOM, and between
the main undercarriage are Ku/Ka-
band antennas. This is the second of
four C295Ws for the Saudi’s GSAC,
but the fi rst with ISR capability.
http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #358 JANUARY 2018 // 35
systems seen on the Saudi General
Security Aviation Command
(GSAC) C295W parked next to
it in the static. Evident was a
SATCOM on top of the fuselage,
a data-link aerial between the
main undercarriage, and a radar
housing in the forward fuselage.
Airbus would not confirm any of
the particular systems on the Saudi
example, although an L-3 Wescam
MX-20 electro-optical/infrared
(EO/IR) system was mounted
under the nose. The latter has an
integrated laser designator but
a second EO/IR system for the
auto-cannon could be fitted and
the weapon fired via the FITS.
The highly modified Saudi airlifter
is the second of four ordered
by the GSAC. The first example
was a passenger aircraft, and
this example was on delivery
to Riyadh where it was due to
undergo a technical evaluation.
While journalists were not allowed
on board, the five-console
FITS was evident in the rear.
The UAEAF&AD announced a
$250m contract for five C295s
during the latter stages of the
show. These are likely to be
multi-role aircraft and the UAE
might get the armed derivative
in 2021 – two-and-a-half years
after weapons integrationcertification is scheduled to be
granted in October 2018.Lighter options
When it comes to gunships,
the Leonardo MC-27J seems
to have advanced no further
since the Dubai Airshow 2013
announcement that the Italian
Air Force will buy three.
Meanwhile, Orbital ATK, which
was to supply its Palletized
Weapon System (PaWS) for
the MC-27J, was at the show,
marketing its next-generation
armed Caravan, the AC-208
Eliminator for a launch customer.
Nancy Stoehr-Campbell, DES
communications manager at
Orbital ATK, wouldn’t say who
the customer was but confirmed:
“It’s a new aircraft for a new
Middle East operator.”
The Eliminator is fitted with
two dual-rail weapons pylons
under each wing, thus doubling
its firepower, and allowing
carriage of a mix of Hellfires
and 2.75in rockets. The launch
customer is looking to acquire
an unguided version of the
latter, although the APKWS
and Orbital’s Guided Advanced
Tactical Rocket (GATR) are
options. The Eliminator is being
upgraded with a high-definitioncustomers are currently
defining their requirements.”
According to Airbus, the
reason the programme hasn’t
progressed more quickly is the
need to make aerodynamic
modifications to its C295 test-
bed required for testing under the
Canadian Fixed-Wing Search and
Rescue (FWSAR) programme.
Saudi star
A ‘full-up’ armed version of the
C295 is also likely to include
EO/IR system with an integrated
laser designator, probably an
L-3 Wescam MX-15. A 2.75in
rocket pod allows options like
the APKWS rocket or GATR to
be fixed under each wing.
The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF)
operates a pair of armed
AC-208Bs from three originally
delivered, while the Lebanese Air
Force has three AC-208s. Both
Iraq and Lebanon are prospective
AC-208 Eliminator operators.
In an exclusive interview with
AFM in September, the IQAF
chief, General Anwar Hamad
Amin, confirmed his Caravans
had fired around 3,000 Hellfires
during anti-terror missions.
Orbital ATK is also the preferred
partner for the armed An-132,
which Saudi-based Taqnia
Aeronautics is set to develop
with the Royal Saudi Air Force.Indigenous Calidus
Another big draw at DAS17
was the Calidus B-250 light
attack aircraft, described by the
company as the ‘first military
fighter to be developed in the
UAE’. This is a little wide of the
mark, as Brazil’s Novaer has
played an important role, after
being contracted to design the
new aircraft in 2015. NovaerAirforces
Intelligence‘In association with ....’