Kazakhstan's order marked the first sale of the C295 to a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member. Source: Airbus Military

Kazakhstan has ordered two new Airbus Military C295 tactical transport aircraft to augment the two delivered earlier this year, the company announced on 24 October.

The contract, which includes spares and support, is part of a wider memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Airbus and the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan in 2012 that covers the procurement of up to eight C295 aircraft.

According to Airbus Military, the latest two aircraft will be handed over in 2014 and 2015 with the final four to be delivered "in the coming years".

Kazakhstan's order marked the first sale of the C295 to a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member, and the first time that the central Asian country had procured a fixed-wing aircraft from somewhere other than Russia or Ukraine. In addition Airbus Military signed an MoU with Kazakhstan Engineering (KE) relating to in-country maintenance of military aircraft.

Further to the C295, the Kazakhstan Air Defence Force (KADF) has expressed an interest in purchasing up to four Airbus Military A400M airlifters. An earlier procurement of six surplus US Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transports has not materialised, and there is no word about whether this will now happen.

Once operational, the C295s will be operated by the Kazakhstan Air Defence Force (KADF) from Almaty Boraldai Airbase in the southeast of the country, near the Kyrgyzstan and Chinese borders. Other fixed-wing transports operational with the KADF comprise the Soviet-era Antonov An-12BP 'Cub', Antonov An-24 'Coke', An-26 'Curl', An-72 'Coaler', and An-2 'Colt'.

http://www.janes.com/article/28844/k...sport-aircraft