Kanematsu of Japan has exercised three further options for U-125A special mission aircraft for use by the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF), manufacturer Raytheon has announced.
Kanematsu, one of Raytheon's Japanese agents, has firmed up these latest options to take to ten the total of U-125As firmly ordered for the service.
The U-125As are variants of the Hawker 800, configured for maritime search and rescue.
Equipment specific to the variant includes a 360o radar system in an under-fuselage radome, flare and marker buoy dispenser, thermal imaging equipment and large observation windows. An example in primer finish is in the static park.
JASDF has a requirement for 27 of the type and four are already in service.
Source: Flight Daily News