Portugal Sell's C212's to Uruguay

Portugal is to transfer to Uruguay two C212-300 Patrullero maritime surveillance aircraft formerly in service with the Portuguese Air Force (FAP)

Portugal Sell's C212's to Uruguay

. A contract for the transfer was signed in Lisbon on 18 December between Berta Cabral, Portuguese Secretary of State for National Defence, and her Uruguayan counterpart Jorge Menéndez.

Portugal Sell's C212's to UruguayTwo ex-Portuguese Air Force C212-300s withdrawn from service will be delivered to the Uruguayan Air Force during the summer of 2015. (Portuguese Air Force)

The contract signature follows a letter of intent issued on 24 July after Uruguay had expressed an interest in buying the aircraft in late 2013. The deal has a fixed price of EUR1.53 million (USD1.9 million), but could reach EUR1.68 million with work "over and above" that stipulated by the baseline delivery.

Both aircraft will be delivered to the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU) during the summer of 2015, the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence told IHS Jane's on 18 December. The package includes spares, documentation, as well as maintenance services by the FAP, such as structural and systems inspections and associated testing. The fleet will be delivered in "as is" condition to Uruguay with the nose radar installed.

The two C212-300s will join three C212-200 Aviocar transports and a single C212-200MP maritime patrol aircraft currently in service with the FAU's No 3 Air Squadron at Carrasco.

Portugal officially withdrew the aircraft from service in December 2011, having received them in March 1994 from Spain's Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA), now part of Airbus Defence & Space. The aircraft were used in search and rescue tasks and as part of the country's maritime surveillance system (SIFICAP).

This is the second transfer of surplus Portuguese platforms to Uruguay after the Portuguese Navy frigates NRP João Belo (F480) and NRP Sacadura Cabral (F483), along with Mk 44 torpedoes, were transferred to the Uruguayan Navy in April 2008 as part of a March 2008 deal worth EUR13 million.