Myanmar acquiring 2 used Airbus C-295 transport aircraft from Jordan

 

An Airbus-CASA C-295 tactical transport aircraft of the Royal Jordanian Air Force. 


The Myanmar Air Force (MAF) was reported to be interested in acquiring two (2) used Airbus-CASA C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft from the Kingdom of Jordan, in a deal expected to be worth US$38.6 million.

The move is said to allow the Myanmar government to avoid the arms embargo imposed to them by the European Union (EU) in 2018, since Jordan has no sanctions imposed against Myanmar. 

Myanmar is under an arms embargo by EU due to human rights violations against the ethnic Muslim Rohingya in 2016. This is addition to an existing embargo due to a bloody military takeover of the civilian government in 1988.

A Myanmar-based company, Aero Sofi, was said to be facilitating the deal on behalf of Myanmar and Jordan. Based on reports, there is no direct negotiations between Myanmar and Jordan. Aero Sofi will also help provide training to MAF personnel at an Airbus facility in Spain.

According to Myanmar news outlet The Irrawaddy, the MAF is negotiating the procurement of the transport aircraft, which will help the service replace some of its Chinese-made Shaanxi Y-8 transport aircraft, one of which crashed in 2017.

The Airbus-CASA C-295 is one of the most successful medium transport aircraft in the world, with Myanmar's neighbors including Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam among its users.

The C-295's short take off and landing capabilities are said to be suited to Myanmar's conditions.



[1] The Irrawaddy
[2] The Diplomat
[3] Myanmar Now

Myanmar acquiring 2 used Airbus C-295 transport aircraft from Jordan Myanmar acquiring 2 used Airbus C-295 transport aircraft from Jordan Reviewed by Asia Pacific Defense Journal on December 21, 2020 Rating: 5

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