RAS Debuts PN’s Second ATR-72/500 MPA at the 2019 Paris Air Show
Germany-based aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) company, Rheinland Air Service (RAS) introduced the Pakistan Navy (PN)’s second ATR-72/500 Multirole Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) with ASW capabilities, which is now known as the RAS 72 Sea Eagle, to the general public at the 2019 Paris Air Show.
The aircraft had previously been in service with the PN as a transport aircraft but has been converted into an MPA configuration at RAS’ facilities in Mönchengladbach, Germany under structural modification work which lasted 12 months. RAS handed over the second aircraft to the Pakistan Naval Air Arm in late June 2019.
Pakistan awarded a contract to RAS in 2015 to convert two refurbished ATR-72/500s into MPAs. The work began in January 2016, following the release of export permits by the German Government. The first RAS 72 Sea Eagle MPAs, which were handed over by RAS in June 2018, re-entered service with the PN on 12 December 2018 in a ceremony held at the PNS Naval Air Station Mehran in Karachi. The structural modification work on the first ATR-72/500 aircraft lasted 15 months. According to RAS as of June 2019 the first RAS 72 Sea Eagle aircraft in PN service performed over 300 missions which lasted 500+ flight hours.
According to RAS, the PN has the intention to convert three more ATR-72s into MPA configuration but it depends upon budget allocations.
The RAS 72 Sea Eagle Multirole MPA with ASW capabilities is equipped with the Leonardo Seaspray 7300E Active Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Elettronica ESM/ELINT suite, FLIR Systems Star SAFIRE III high definition electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) turret. The platform also features an Acoustic Processing System, Sonobuoy Launching System, Chaff and Flare Dispensing System, Ku-Band satellite communications (SatCom) system, AIS transponder, Direction Finder, IFF, a PN specific indigenous data link system and two weapon hard-points for Italian lightweight ASW torpedoes enabling anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and maritime patrol capabilities. According to RAS officials, thanks to its modular concept the operator consoles onboard the RAS 72 Sea Egle MPA can be pulled out from the cabin within 2 hours. RAS officials also underlined that the platform features a semi glass cockpit and uprated engine (which offers the same performance as the ATR-72/600 version).
The sensors onboard the aircraft are integrated through the Aerodata AG’s AeroMission Mission Management System running on four multifunctional operator consoles. The AeroMission Mission Management System includes a sensor fusion algorithm and can compile feeds from each sensor to build a complete situational awareness picture for the crew. Due to its onboard communications abilities the RAS 72 Sea Eagle is able to transmit all the information captured on-board in real-time to the dedicated command center.
Excerpt from:
Seen and Heard at the International Paris Air Show 2019 | defenceturkey.com
by İbrahim SÜNNETÇİ
