As we speak the Ministry of Defence of Malaysia signed a contract with Leonardo to produce two ATR 72 MPA (Maritime Patrol Plane) platforms. A signing ceremony passed off at LIMA 2023, a key maritime and defence exhibition within the Asia-Pacific area held in Langkawi, Malaysia. The ATR 72 MPA is a twin-turboprop plane designed for advanced maritime patrol missions. It’s the newest specialised variant of the ATR regional transport plane, a part of a variety of sorts developed by Leonardo for missions together with maritime surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Floor unit Warfare (AsuW), Search & Rescue (SAR), environmental monitoring, medical evacuation and transport of personnel and supplies. This contract follows the collection of the answer provided by Leonardo introduced final October, and consists of the availability of two ATR Particular Mission plane in Maritime Patrol configuration plus the associated built-in logistic assist and coaching providers.
Dario Marfè, SVP Plane Industrial & Buyer Companies at Leonardo, stated: “We’re proud that the Malaysian Authorities has chosen our ATR 72 MPA, an plane which represents Leonardo’s superior technological capabilities within the design and integration of platforms and programs on the highest ranges. The ATR 72 MPA combines reliability and low working prices, all some great benefits of the ATR 72-600 regional passenger transport plane, and includes a state-of-the-art Leonardo mission system. It’s positioned available on the market as a tremendously efficient resolution for the safety and defence of its prospects”.
The plane chosen by Malaysia retains the reliability, maintainability, low lifecycle prices and luxury options of the baseline ATR 72-600. They may even be outfitted with a versatile mission system, superior sensors and an entire communications suite for Command, Management, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) missions over land and sea. The sensors and mission programs will have the ability to function in stand-alone and net-centric modes, enabling the gathering, processing and sharing of strategic knowledge amongst operators, whereas offering full situational consciousness concerning the operational state of affairs. The ATR 72 MPA is optimised for maritime patrol, digital intelligence (ELINT) gathering, sea floor and submerged goal detection and monitoring, SAR, countering unlawful actions (drug trafficking, piracy and smuggling) and defending territorial waters. There may be progress potential for it to evolve right into a fully-fledged Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Floor unit Warfare (AsuW) platform.
Variants of the ATR 72 MPA, in service with navy and regulation enforcement organisations, are outfitted with the modular Leonardo ATOS (Airborne Tactical Commentary and Surveillance) mission system, which may even be included within the Malaysian configuration. The ATOS manages the plane’s on-board sensors, fusing the knowledge gathered and presenting a complete and constantly up to date tactical image to the mission system operators. With a business heritage, the ATR 72 MPA options an ergonomic design that helps the effectivity and effectiveness of the crew throughout missions that may sometimes final greater than 8 hours. The ATR-based Particular Mission plane are capable of meet a variety of buyer necessities throughout the APAC area, with many native operators of the ATR regional turboprop already benefitting from prolonged logistics assist.