US firm Integrated Surveillance and Defense (ISD) has secured a US Navy contract to upgrade three maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) for Indonesia’s navy.
The work will see ISD upgrade a pair of Airbus Defence & Space CN235 MPAs and equip a single Beechcraft King Air 350i with maritime surveillance equipment. The company will also furnish a mission system simulator.
The 24-month project will see ISD integrate a maritime surveillance radar, electro-optical/infrared sensors, Automatic Identification System equipment to identify ships, mission management systems, and data links.
The work will be undertaken by Indonesian Aerospace – also known as PTDI – at its factory in Bandung. ISD and PTDI have previously collaborated on similar CN235-based MPA projects.
“Installation and delivery of ISD’s solutions will provide a common mission system for Indonesian navy and air force aircraft, resulting in standardised mission execution and training for all operators, resulting in increased mission effectiveness,” says ISD president Blaise Dagilaitis.
“Additionally, this programme will enable a common equipment spares pool that can be used across platforms, thus reducing lifecycle and maintenance costs.”
At the Singapore air show in February, Dagilaitis told FlightGlobal that ISD was pursuing the Indonesian opportunity for the two CN235s and the King Air.
He added that ISD is also working on an opportunity related to King Air 90s that were supplied to the Philippine navy by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Manila wants to modify the aircraft, which formerly served in the training role, with a surveillance capability.
ISD has installed intelligence, surveillance and reconaissance capabilities on dozens of aircraft globally. Customers have included police in the Australian state of Victoria, as well as military services in Egypt, Guatamala, Nigeria, Mexico, and Turkey.
