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World Aviation Defense & Security News - Vietnam
 
 
Vietnamese Air Force could be the first customer of the C295 AEW&C aircraft
 
Vietnam would buy two Airbus C295 AEW&C aircraft, according to Vietnamese Media sources. The procurement comes as a result of the country’s effort to control East China Sea areas, where confrontation with the Chinese military has become a common phenomenon.
     
Vietnamese Air Force is the first customer of the C295 AEW 640 001The C295 AEW&C will allow Vietnam to better control its sea borders in a period of heightened tensions with China
(Credit: Airbus Defence & Space)
     
Moreover, the new platforms will improve coordination capabilities with many modern weapon systems acquired during the last years.

According to the same sources, Airbus and ELTA could assist the country in integrating the new platform with the rest of the Vietnamese Armed Forces, including Russian-made ones. The number of the platforms to be acquired could probably be more than two, as the two could probably be not sufficient for the operational requirements.

The primary sensor of the AEW&C will be the IAI/ELTA 4th Generation Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar with integrated IFF. This follows an agreement signed by Airbus Defence and Space and IAI/ELTA in June 2011 at the Le Bourget Airshow.The C295 AEW&C has been designed to provide high quality 360º surveillance, creating in real-time an integrated Air and Maritime Situation Picture and Electronic Order of Battle. The AEW&C Situation Picture is shared with friendly forces via Network Centric data links.A C295 fitted with a rotodome demonstrator is conducting flight trials from Airbus Defence and Space's Seville facility since 8th June 2011.

 

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