L-3 flies first EMARSS-M prototype aircraft

[Zarvan]

The EMARSS-M1 prototype seen during its recent maiden flight ahead of continued contractor, government, and operational tests over the coming months. Source: L-3
L-3 Mission Integration has conducted the maiden flights of the first Beechcraft King Air 350ER aircraft to be converted into a special mission platform under the US Army's Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) programme, the company announced on 22 June.

The prototype of the Initial Variant Modification (IVM) aircraft, dubbed EMARSS-M1, completed a preliminary airworthiness evaluation, which clears the aircraft for continued contractor, government, and operational tests over the coming months.

The US Army awarded L-3 a contract to convert a single prototype MC-12W Project Liberty aircraft to the EMARSS-M configuration on 31 March 2015.

With this first flight milestone now achieved, L-3 will complete the modification of three additional aircraft in two other variants in 2016. All four platforms will then take part in a combined operational test and evaluation programme.

The EMARSS system consists of a King Air 350ER aircraft equipped with an electro-optic/infra-red (EO/IR) sensor, communications intelligence collection system, an aerial precision geolocation system, line-of-site tactical and beyond line-of-site communications suites, two Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A) workstations and a self-protection suite.

Under the wider contract (including future options), L-3 is to modify Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) special mission aircraft - comprising MC-12W Project Liberty aircraft, Constant Hawk-Afghanistan (CH-A) aircraft, and Tactical Operations-Light Detection and Ranging (TACOP-LiDAR) aircraft - to the EMARSS standard.

Following on from the prototype award and the award to convert the additional three platforms, L-3 is now under contract to convert an MC-12W Project Liberty aircraft and seven other platforms into the MC-12S-2 EMARSS-M configuration.

With the Milestone C production decision being approved in August 2014, the US Army has disclosed its initial plans to field 12 EMARSS platforms (plus options for 20 more). It has not been revealed how many of these will be converted QRC platforms, or how many will be new-build.

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