Raytheon Aircraft has revised and delayed development of a missionised Beechcraft King Air 350ER to focus more on maritime and littoral applications.
The manufacturer unveiled plans early last year to develop and test fly a King Air 350ER equipped for several roll-on/roll-off missions, including maritime patrol, overland surveillance and homeland security. But after flying the prototype at the Paris air show last year Raytheon decided to drop development of an overland solution.
“In the [Asia-Pacific] region they’re looking to maritime surveillance, so that’s what we’re focusing on,” says business development director for precision attack and surveillance systems Craig Thompson.
Raytheon plans to complete test flights on the airframe and exterior equipment at the end of this year, install special mission equipment early next year and certificate the aircraft in mid-2007.
Thompson says Raytheon has yet to submit any formal bids, but it is accepting orders for delivery from late 2007 and is in talks with the Indonesian fisheries department and Indian coastguard. The aircraft has an endurance of 7h, compared with 4-5h on earlier King Airs, and has Raytheon’s Sea Vue radar and an integrated dual workstation.
BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
