Leonardo has delivered two King Air 350 extended-range (ER) multi-mission, twin-engine turboprop aircraft with pre-installed surveillance sensors and mission system.
The aircraft have entered service with an undisclosed African Navy. Leonardo has served as the prime contractor and systems integrator for the project.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The mission-ready aircraft has been certified to be airborne by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
These Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) are equipped with a fully integrated package with Seaspray E-scan surveillance radar and ATOS mission system.
The MPAs also feature an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder and interrogator, Link 11 datalink and third-party electro-optical turret.
They are capable of conducting a range of operations including search and rescue, littoral security, and the monitoring of illegal migration, fishing and pollution.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataLeonardo’s E-scan ‘Seaspray’ maritime radar is available in a patented small-target-detection function.
The ATOS mission system augments all the data together into reducing the workload of ‘single tactical picture’ for operators.
ATOS is in operation on-board more than different aircraft types, with more than 60 systems installed on various platforms.
The King Air 350ER is designed and manufactured by Beechcraft Augsburg, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation.
The company noted that its ‘surveillance-ready’ offering has attracted interest from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East customers.
The company said in a statement: “Leonardo sees this model as a growth area for the company, with its ability to draw on its broad in-house expertise in sensors, mission systems and platform integration allowing it to offer a tailored, mission-ready aircraft to customers in a cost-effective manner.”
