Company Will Covert Planes To Maritime Surveillance Aircraft

Last week, Field Aviation took delivery of the first of three Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 aircraft the company will be converted to Maritime Surveillance Aircraft for the Swedish Coast Guard. The aircraft will be converted at the company's Toronto facility, as part of an $80 million project to supply the Swedish Coast Guard with the planes.

All three aircraft will be handed over to the Swedish government during 2007.

At the delivery ceremony at Bombardier’s Toronto manufacturing facility, Joseph Farrell, Field’s president and CEO, said this contract is an affirmation of the company’s international reputation as a world leader  in development and modification of aircraft platforms into airborne surveillance and patrol aircraft.

"Dash 8 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft modified by Field are in service with the US Customs and Border Protection Agency, and with the Australian Customs Service Coastwatch, which put us in a good position to comply with and win this contract for the Swedish government," Farrell said. "The technical requirements are stringent and our modification center is already up to speed on this $US 80 million contract."

The Swedish MSAs will have multi-mission capability -- including search and rescue, maritime sovereignty patrol, interdiction, medevac and other first-response activities.

The Dash 8's speed and endurance capabilities will allow shorter transit times and much more time on-station when compared to Guard's existing fleet of CASA 212s, and this will allow the Swedish Coast Guard to increase both environmental and fisheries surveillance as well as border control and customs duties. The basic Dash 8 Q300 aircraft platform will be equipped with long-range fuel tanks for 8+ hours endurance, and an auxiliary power unit.

Field will outfit the aircraft with maritime search radar, an electro-optical/infra-red pod, side-looking radar and an infra-red/ultra-violet line scanner.  All sensors will feed into an integrated data handling system from L-3 Communications–Integrated Systems.

Additionally, Field's recently-certificated air-operable rear door will allow the Coast Guard to deploy location flares, oil sampling buoys and larger items such as inflatable life rafts, when required.

Formed in 1947, Field Aviation is based in Toronto, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta, and provides services to the business aviation and special-purpose market internationally.

FMI: www.fieldav.com, Swedish Coast Guard Homepage