If You Build It, They Will Buy …

Textron Aviation, parent company of Cessna, Raytheon, and [formerly] Hawker, has announced a maritime patrol variant of its Cessna Citation Longitude aircraft.

Cessna’s Longitude is a super-midsize business jet with trans-Atlantic (3,500-nautical-mile) range and a full-fuel payload of 1,600-pounds. The Longitude is powered by a pair of aft-fuselage mounted Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines, each of which produces 7,655-pound-feet of thrust.

The Longitude’s maritime patrol iteration will feature mission-specific appointments such as: a transmissive belly radome for maritime radars, Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) fairing, Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) sensor lift, and optional Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible lighting. So equipped, the aircraft is well-suited for surveillance missions over land and water, search and rescue operations, border patrol, fishery monitoring, and drug-interdiction.

Bob Gibbs, vice president, Special Mission Sales for Textron Aviation says of the new airplane: “The Cessna Citation Longitude jet provides an excellent value for Special Mission operations due to its acquisition cost and operation cost combined with excellent speed, range and payload capacity. Textron Aviation has developed and had certified factory provisions for various mission equipment supporting maritime patrol and surveillance missions, maximizing value for operations worldwide.”

Government, military, and commercial customers seeking airborne solutions for critical missions have long turned to Textron Aviation. The company’s aircraft provide high-performance and flight characteristics conducive to the unique challenges of special mission operations. Textron’s vast experience in aircraft manufacturing across models as disparate as the Cessna 172, Beechcraft King Air 360, and Cessna Citation X+ ensures the maritime patrol Longitude will be as robust, reliable, and efficient as its general aviation counterpart.

Across the globe, Textron aircraft serve numerous governments and agencies in capacities such as: air-ambulance, ISR, utility transport, aerial survey, flight inspection, and special-operations training.

FMI: www.txtav.com