Project Type
Maritime surveillance aircraft
The DA62 maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) is based on the DA62 special mission aircraft developed by Austrian composite aircraft manufacturer Diamond Aircraft Industries.
Project Type
Maritime surveillance aircraft
Developers
Leonardo and Diamond Aircraft Industries
Unveiled
June 2019
Maximum Take-Off Weight
2,300kg
Expand
The DA62 maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) is based on the DA62 special mission aircraft developed by Austrian composite aircraft manufacturer Diamond Aircraft Industries.
The maritime surveillance variant is being developed by Diamond Aircraft in a strategic partnership with Italian aerospace, defence and security company Leonardo. It will offer user-friendly, affordable and light intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability for maritime security and surveillance tasks.
Integrated with a full suite of Leonardo’s state-of-the-art sensors, the new aircraft is effective for short and medium-range land and maritime surveillance missions. The new solution aims to meet the high demand for land and maritime surveillance platforms in South America, Africa and Asia Pacific.
In June 2019, the DA62 MSA aircraft was unveiled at the Paris Air Show in Paris, France. It will be available to customers by the end of 2019.
The maritime surveillance variant features carbon composite airframe coated with matte grey finish for reduced reflections and observability. It comes with high payload capacity and a spacious fuselage.
The main wings are mounted below the fuselage to provide optimal visibility, while the empennage features a large horizontal stabiliser.
The fuselage is fitted with two windows on both sides to provide entry and exit for the occupants. The aircraft’s take-off and landing operations are supported by retractable tricycle landing gear.
The crew cabin has been ergonomically optimised to provide comfort for four crew members. It is equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit and GFC700 autopilot.
The DA62 MSA has a length of 9.19m, a height of 2.82m and a wingspan of 14.55m. It is outfitted with a 189l (151kg) main fuel tank and a 137l (110kg) auxiliary fuel tank. The empty weight of the aircraft is 1,590kg, while its maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is 2,300kg.
The DA62 MSA variant is installed with a Leonardo Gabbiano TS ultra-light surveillance radar underneath the fuselage to provide long and short-range surveillance capabilities over the land and at sea.
The all-weather, X-band radar provides navigation through different modes, including high-resolution ground mapping via synthetic aperture radar (SAR), weather avoidance, and ground moving target indication (GMTI) modes.
The aircraft also features a high-definition electro-optic and infrared (EO/IR) turret below the nose of the fuselage.
It can be fitted with Leonardo’s semi-automatic ground environment (SAGE) electronic support measures (ESM) system, which provides strategic intelligence gathering and tactical threat awareness in the radiofrequency (RF) environment.
The aircraft is also compatible with Spider communications intelligence (COMINT) system, which can intercept, detect, identify and locate communications of interest.
The aircraft integrates airborne tactical observation and surveillance (ATOS) advanced mission system to provide flight plan management for ISR missions.
The system integrates a surveillance radar, EO/IR turret, automatic identification system (AIS), satellite communication, COMINT and electronic intelligence (ELINT) systems, as well as ultra-high frequency (UHF) and very high frequency (VHF) radios.
It controls mission sensors and collects the mission data from the on-board EO/IR sensors and the surveillance radar. The data is stored in a high-quality digital video format.
The DA62 MSA is powered by a pair of Austro Engine AE 330 turbocharged common-rail injected 2l jet fuel engines. The engines drive two MT-propeller MTV-6-R-C-F/CF 194-80 three-blade constant-speed propellers.
The maximum cruise speed of the aircraft is 352km/h, while its operating speed is 140km/h. The DA62 MSA has a maximum operating altitude of 6,096m and offers a flight endurance of up to eight hours.
CH-53K King Stallion is a next-generation heavy-lift cargo helicopter being manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin company. The rotorcraft…
The CMV-22B Osprey long-range tiltrotor aircraft is the US Navy’s future variant of MV-22B Osprey assault support aircraft developed by…
The new Marine One, also referred to as VH-92A, is the next-generation presidential transport helicopter being developed for the US…
Airbus introduced A320neo M3A (Modular Multi-Mission Aircraft) concept in July 2018. It is a military derivative of the Airbus A320…