Leonardo has received a contract to deliver a Multirole Maritime Patrol aircraft based on the ATR 42-600 commercial system for the Italian Coast Guard.
The order is part of the service’s effort to modernize its airborne fleet, which already employs three similar platforms based on the company’s ATR 42-200 and ATR 42-500 regional airliner fuselage.
The plane incorporates more advanced communications, search, and surveillance sensors that relay information to the entire chain of command in real time.
It is also equipped with Leonardo’s proprietary Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance modular mission system, which consolidates data collected from different sensors and arranges them into an appropriate format for constant updates and analysis.
Upon arrival, the aircraft will fly for observation, law enforcement, and search and rescue tasks across Italy’s coastline and international waters.
Leonardo noted that the ATR 42-600 can sustain operability for over eight hours.
Specifications
The ATR 42-600 measures 48 meters (157 feet) long and has a wingspan of 25 meters (82 feet).
It has a maximum payload capacity of 5,250 kilograms (11,574 pounds) and a capacity for up to 48 personnel.
It is powered by twin 4,500-liter Pratt & Whitney PW100 engines with 2,400 horsepower each for a top cruise speed of 535 kilometers (332 miles) per hour and a range of 726 nautical miles (1,345 kilometers/835 miles).