Airbus Military has delivered the first of four additional CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft ordered by the Mexican navy, expanding the service's inventory of the type to three.
The twin turboprop aircraft are being acquired via the USA under a Foreign Military Sales deal worth almost $158 million, according to EADS North America, which uses the same airframe to deliver the US Coast Guard's HC-144A Ocean Sentry platform.
Applications for the Mexican CN-235s will include performing cargo and personnel transport, search and rescue, drug interdiction, and maritime environmental protection tasks, EADS NA said.
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Pictured at Airbus Military's San Pablo final assembly site near Seville, Spain, aircraft AMP-122 carries the manufacturer's fully integrated tactical system mission suite, maritime search radar and an electro-optical/infrared camera in a ball turret beneath its nose.
"The remaining three aircraft will be delivered in the first half of 2012," Airbus Military said.
Mexico's navy already operates two General Electric CT7-9C-powered CN-235s for maritime patrol applications. These were both delivered in 2010, as assessed by Flightglobal's MiliCAS database.
Source: Flight International
