Business & Money | Thursday 8 September, 2016 9:39 am |

Airbus C-295 military aircraft that has joined the General Security Aviation Command (GSAC) on Tuesday will hugely boost the Saudi aviation security.

The aircraft was launched on Tuesday evening by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier, minister of interior and chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee.

Commander of the GSAC, Maj.Gen. Mohammed Bin Eid Al-Harbe said the aircraft was the first of its kind to join their fleet.

“The propelled planes along with the helicopters constitute the fleet of the GSAC and twill together cater to the operational and logistical needs of all the security sectors,” he said.

Harbe said more similar aircraft will follow in the near future to strengthen the fleet of the GSAC.

He said the aircraft has huge potential and is supplied with the state-of-the-art technology. “It will further boost our aviation capabilities,” he added.

He said the new aircraft will be piloted by Saudi officers, engineers and technicians who have received rigorous training in the best US aviation colleges.

“The Airbus C-295 represents a qualitative leap for the aviation security due to its high performance in the desert environment,” he said.

The commander explained that the new aircraft can bear extremely high temperatures and is capable of landing in small and short land airfields.
“The Airbus C-295 can fly high and low on the land and sea with great capabilities of maneuvering,” he said.

The plane can carry up to 70 people and large quantities of arms and military equipment. “It is equipped with for reconnaissance, border surveying, search and ejection of parachutists,”he said.

Harbe said the Airbus C-295 has well-equipped 15 beds for medical evacuation and can fly non-stop for five hours or 10,000 km without refueling.

“This plane can fly to heights of 30,000 feet above sea level at a speed of 461 km/h and can carry 11 ton of cargo,” he said.

The aircraft, which was manufactured in 1997, has side doors and a hydraulic rear door which can open during flight to unload relief material by parachutes.

“The Airbus C-295 can be used as an integrated air surveillance room equipped with radars and thermal cameras to follow the land targets. It also has UHF-VH-HF communications system,” he said.
Harbe said the plane also has a space communications system through the satellites and a radar to check the weather conditions.