Roll-Out Announcement Made At Dubai Air Show

Piaggio Aerospace has rolled out the first MPA (Multirole Patrol Aircraft) in conjunction with the Dubai Air Show.

The aircraft, based on the P.180 Avanti platform, was presented in Genoa, Italy Monday. Fully compatible with the unmanned HammerHead system, the MPA is developed by Piaggio Aerospace in partnership with ADASI – Abu Dhabi Autonomous System Investments – and represents a significant evolution of the P.180 Avanti platform

The company says those improvements include a 50 percent increase of the wing span, 35 percent increase of the horizontal tail area and 20 percent increase of the forward wing (canard) surfaces. The airplane is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A engines with new scimitar propeller blades, and carries 50 percent more fuel.

New SAAB Albatros Mission System by with Radar 1700 G2, EO/IR and Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion Avionics Suite.

Simultaneously with the Italian roll-out, the MPA Ground Demonstrator is show-cased at the Dubai Air Show within the stand of Mubadala, shareholder of Piaggio Aerospace. It is constituted by the forward section of the aircraft, fully equipped with the new avionic and mission systems. The main goal of this Ground Demonstrator is to offer a realistic representation of the system capabilities and perform ground testing of equipment, anthropometric evaluation, cockpit lighting/glare, and human machine interface evaluation.

“We consider this new aircraft as a key strategic asset of our product portfolio," said Carlo Logli, CEO of Piaggio Aerospace. "In the very near future, we will be able to offer an integrated range of manned and unmanned solutions, tailored on the needs of each Customer, boosting unique capabilities, and able to match the growing and sophisticated demand of security of many Nations”.

“We have worked closely together with Piaggio Aerospace to integrate SAAB’s advanced multi-mission surveillance systems for maritime and overland missions, with equipment that includes a mission management system, radar and electro-optics," said Jonas Hjel, SAAB’s Head of Business Area Support and Services.

(Image provided with Piaggio Aerospace news release)

FMI: www.piaggioaerospace.it