Thales
has completed delivery of initial standard maritime patrol aircraft
under the Meltem II programme for Turkey, with four aircraft entering
service between February and June 2012. Pierre Eric Pommellet, Executive
Chairman of Thales Systèmes Aéroportés, officially
handed over the aircraft during a ceremony at the Tusas Aerospace Industry
(TAI) facility in Ankara attended by representatives of the Turkish
Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM), the Turkish Naval Command,
the Turkish Coast Guard Command, the local contractors involved in the
programme – TAI, Aselsan, Havelsan and Milsoft – the French
defence procurement agency (DGA) and the French embassy in Ankara.
Thales is prime contractor for the Meltem II programme, which calls
for delivery of six maritime patrol aircraft for the Turkish Navy and
three maritime surveillance aircraft for the Turkish Coast Guard. The
aircraft are based on modified CASA CN-235 platforms. The programme
also includes the provision of 10 additional maritime patrol systems
for integration on ATR 72 aircraft in service with the Turkish Navy.
Seven of these have already been delivered to the SSM. The 19 mission
systems are based on Thales's AMASCOS solution (Airborne MAritime Situation
& Control System).
The four initial standard aircraft underwent significant modifications
to accommodate the mission system and have completed airworthiness qualification
by the DGA in France. Turkish Navy pilots and aircrews have been trained
with the new aircraft and mission systems and performed a series of
test flights covering a range of operational mission profiles: surveillance,
search and rescue, target designation, anti-surface warfare and antisubmarine
warfare. On the basis of these test flights, the aircraft have been
accepted into operational service. |
MELTEM II CASA CN-235 MPA
Designed around a latest-generation integrated tactical command system,
the AMASCOS solution ties together multiple sensors – radar, FLIR,
ESM, acoustic system, AIS, MAD, SLAR radar, IR/UV scanner – to
detect, identify and track threats, maintain real-time tactical situation
awareness, manage NATO and national tactical datalinks and deploy onboard
weapon systems.
(picture: internet)
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