“Defenders of the Deep: Italian Coast Guard Unveils Cutting-Edge ATR42 Patrol Aircraft!”
Leonardo has finalized a contract with the General Command of the Port Authorities – Coast Guard to deliver an ATR42-600 Maritime Patrol (MP) aircraft. This purchase is aligned with the General Command’s initiative to modernize its fleet, which currently includes three MP aircraft based on the ATR 42-400 and ATR 42-500 variants.
The ATR 42 MP, crafted and engineered using the ATR 42-600 turboprop regional aircraft design, showcases Leonardo’s expertise in both platform and system integration. This aircraft is equipped with multi-domain sensors and state-of-the-art research and communication technologies, facilitating instantaneous data transmission and reception, thus enhancing operations throughout the entire command chain.
The ATR42 MP will be integrated into the Corps’ aviation fleet to execute a range of responsibilities assigned to the Coast Guard, which encompasses maritime surveillance along Italy’s shores and in international waters, enabled by the advanced technological instruments incorporated in both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
Already in service with variants specifically adapted for other Italian governmental agencies, the aircraft is equipped with Leonardo’s ATOS (Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance) modular mission system. ATOS manages the extensive array of aircraft sensors, synthesizing the data gathered into a cohesive tactical overview and presenting the information to operators in the most efficient manner, thereby providing elevated and continuously updated situational awareness, even during complex operations.
This aircraft merges reliability, ease of upkeep, cost-effectiveness, and comfort of the ATR 42-600 from which it is derived, while offering the crew an ergonomic design that boosts productivity and effectiveness during maritime patrol, search and identification, and SAR (search and rescue) missions, as well as in addressing drug trafficking, piracy, and illegal immigration challenges.
