Airbus Defence and Space and Roketsan (Hall 1 Stand B110) signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday to collaborate on a program to add a range of air-to-surface weapons to the C295W medium utility transport. The C295W has already been tested with weapons dropped from underwing hardpoints, but these are for anti-submarine and other maritime missions. The tie-up with Roketsan could add precision attack capability through the addition of laser-guided rockets, missiles and bombs.

Under the agreement the two companies will work on the design and initial testing aspects of equipping the C295W to fire Roketsan’s Cirit laser-guided rocket, L-UMTAS laser-guided anti-tank missile and the Teber precision bomb. The latter comprises a standard Mk 80 series warhead fitted with either GPS or GPS/laser guidance kits. The agreement will see the companies advancing the project to a pre-certification status, but would require a solid customer to proceed to certification.

Airbus is providing its C295W development aircraft as a platform for any future carriage and release trials. For its part, Roketsan brings considerable experience in weapons integration to the table. The company’s president and CEO, Selcuk Yasar, noted that, “Since we are the designer of all these systems, the adaptation to an aircraft platform is easier for us.”

Last month Roketsan and Airbus signed another MoU covering the integration of the Cirit laser-guider rocket on the Airbus Helicopters H135M and H145M armed helicopters. Fired from a four-round launcher, the weapon is in production for the Turkish armed forces and is also in service in the UAE.