Modified Regional Turboprop For Patrolling Coastlines

Leonardo announced it has secured a contract with Italy’s General Command of the Port Authorities – Coast Guard to supply an ATR42-600 Maritime Patrol (MP) aircraft.

The ATR42 MP is developed on the basic platform of the ATR42-600 regional aircraft that is modified and equipped with Leonardo’s multi-domain sensors and state-of-the-art research and communications equipment. It is capable of transmitting and receiving information in real time, optimizing operations along the entire chain of command.

The mods include Leonardo’s Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance (ATOS) modular mission system which manages the aircraft’s sensors. It is capable of compiling all the information into a comprehensive tactical situation picture and presents it to operators in a constantly updating scenario to inform tactical decision-making.

The onboard sensor suite includes multi-modal radar, an electro-optical sensor turret with color and monochrome cameras, automatic identification system, direction finder, and video recording equipment.

Such up-to-the-minute knowledge increases the efficiency and effectiveness of operations while engaged in maritime patrol, search and identification, and search and rescue during rapidly-changing environments such as drug trafficking interdiction, piracy, smuggling, and protection of territorial waters.

The ATR42 aircraft has the reliability, maintainability, low life-cycle cost, and comfort of the regional passenger aircraft it is derived from. These are important for overall budgetary considerations as well as crew ergonomics during extended missions of 8 hours or more.

FMI:  https://aircraft.leonardo.com/