The contract, signed with Spain’s Airbus Defence & Space, will overhaul the Polish Air Force’s entire CASA fleet operated by the 8th Airlift Base in Balice.
Under the eight-year modernization plan set to start next year, Airbus will upgrade avionics, operational systems, and communication suites, including new radio and satellite links. The aircraft will also gain enhanced identification capabilities—upgrading “friend-or-foe” systems—and improved self-defense equipment. Paratroopers can expect expanded airdrop capabilities as well.
Two of the C-295M planes will be retrofitted in Spain, while the remaining 14 will undergo modernization in Airbus’ Polish facilities. Originally acquired in the early 2000s, Poland first purchased eight C-295M CASAs in 2001 and added more units in subsequent years.
(jh)
Source: IAR