Airbus eyes bigger piece of Philippine military spending

Airbus A350-1000

European aerospace giant Airbus wants to boost its revenues from the Philippine market — currently made through the sale of airliners, helicopters and support services — by offering new military aircraft to the government.

In particular, Airbus wants the Armed Forces of the Philippines to consider acquiring the new C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft which can be used to protect the country’s territory in the South China Sea.

“We understand that the Philippine military is in the market for new patrol aircraft and the C295 is ideal because the Philippine Air Force already operates the same platform as transport aircraft,” Airbus Defence and Space Southeast Asia head Johan Pelissier said in a press briefing.

Airbus officials said the company is ready to meet defence, space, communications and security requirements in the Philippines with its cutting-edge products and services, which the company will highlight at the Asian Defense & Security (ADAS) 2018 exhibition.

“The Philippine Air Force is a highly valued customer, and we are proud that they selected the C295 to support the modernization of their transport fleet,” Pelissier said. “Today, three of these versatile aircraft serve on a variety of military and humanitarian missions in the country.”

With decades of experience in the defence business, the European manufacturer has a strong track record of developing products and services for the most challenging missions.

This includes tactical and strategic airlifters such as the A400M and C295, the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), and the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, which make up a world-class product line operated by air forces worldwide.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia and Singapore operate the A330 MRTT while South Korea will receive its first aircraft later in 2018.

Malaysia, the first export customer for the A400M airlifter, has four aircraft in service. Apart from the Philippines, the C295 transport is also in service in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Pelissier said the C295 maritime patrol aircraft is “especially suitable for countries in Asia, many of which need to monitor large coastlines and secure their economic zones.”

“This week at ADAS, we are also highlighting the capabilities of the new-generation A400M, which can fly twice as far or carry twice as much payload as competing aircraft. The A400M has also successfully carried out humanitarian missions in Asia, most recently to Lombok in Indonesia.”/lb /atm