Gov't Is Launch Customer For Amphibious Aircraft In Asia
Bombardier Aerospace announced Friday that Malaysia's coast
guard agency, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), has
taken delivery of the first of two Bombardier 415MP amphibious
aircraft ordered by the Malaysian government in June 2008. The
Malaysian government is the launch customer in Asia for the
specialized Bombardier 415MP aircraft.
Present at an official ceremony held in Subang Jaya, Malaysia,
was Datuk Seri Najib, Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia;
Datuk Amdan, Director General, MMEA; and Mr. Michel Bourgeois,
President, Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft, Bombardier
Aerospace.
A variant of the rugged Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft --
the only aircraft specifically designed for aerial firefighting --
the Bombardier 415MP amphibious aircraft will be modified for
maritime surveillance capabilities to meet the specialized needs of
the MMEA. The first Bombardier 415MP aircraft delivered to Malaysia
will be equipped with a state-of-the-art surveillance suite that
includes two side-looking airborne radars, one forward-looking
infrared radar, an airborne maritime surveillance system and other
avionics and communications equipment.
"Bombardier Aerospace is proud to deliver its first Bombardier
415MP aircraft to Malaysia. We are confident this hardworking
aircraft, with its multi-purpose capabilities, will prove a worthy
tool in Malaysia's efforts to patrol its extensive waterways and to
enhance its search and rescue missions," said Michel Bourgeois,
President, Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft, Bombardier
Aerospace. "The aircraft's ability to fly at low speed and low
altitude with great maneuverability, and to execute direct
interventions on water, makes it an ideal aircraft for coastal
patrol missions. It is a very capable and cost-effective aircraft,
able to carry out a multitude of specialized missions that
previously required dedicated vessels and aircraft."
The multi-purpose Bombardier 415MP aircraft can be used in a
variety of specialized missions such as search and rescue,
environmental protection, coastal patrol and transportation. It is
fitted with sophisticated sensors to locate and identify vessels,
people in distress and pollutants.
Since delivery of the first Bombardier 415 aircraft in 1994,
Bombardier Aerospace has delivered 69 Bombardier 415 aircraft,
including three Bombardier 415MP aircraft, to Croatia, France,
Greece, Italy, Ontario, Quebec and Spain, with 42 aircraft in
operation in the Mediterranean region alone.