ATR and Alenia Hope to Expand Market for ATR 2MP Surveyor

ATR and Alenia Hope to Expand Market
for ATR 2MP Surveyor

The Maritime Patrol Mission System fitted in the ATR 42MP aircraft was designed, developed and manufactured by Alenia Difesa.

The modular system integrates all the sensors aboard the aircraft to provide a tactical display on a single multifunction screen in front of each of the two operators, who can select their displays independently. A smaller tactical picture can be displayed to the pilot on a 10-inch monitor in the cockpit.

The smaller screen on the center console can display close-up images of ships or other targets from selected sensors such as low-light TV.

A datalink with a groundstation enables the airplane's mission to be changed or replanned in flight on command from the ground, and the pilot can approve the new profile after reviewing it on his cockpit monitor.

The system features rugged workstations and joystick controllers as well as keyboards.

ATR and Alenia are hoping to expand the market for the ATR 42MP Surveyor sea surveillance aircraft around the world, and are promoting the aircraft's virtues here at Farnborough.

Italy is the only country so far to have bought the ATR 42MP, which uses an integrated sensor suite developed and manufactured by Alenia Difesa. Italy's defense ministry operates two aircraft armed with a fixed, forward-facing gun in the landing gear pod on the port side of the fuselage.
The Italian Coast Guard operates an additional, unarmed maritime patrol ATR 42, and has an option for a second aircraft.

Malaysia and India are seen as possible customers for the ATR 42MP, as both have ongoing requirements for maritime patrol and coastal surveillance.

The Philippine Air Force is currently evaluating the ATR 42MP for its requirement for four to six aircraft. A decision could be made shortly.

Main competitors for the ATR 42MP are the de Havilland Dash 8, and the CASA CN-235MPA.
The core sensor on the ATR 42MP is a long-range, 360-degree search and track radar with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse SAR capability. The radar is augmented by an infrared sensor and high-resolution video camera. The system also has an electronic support measures capability in that it can track several emitters and can analyze radar emissions.

Some preliminary thought has gone into a larger surveillance system based on the ATR 72 aircraft. However, that analysis so far has only been very rough and a program launch isn't expected anytime soon.

One feature of the ATR 42MP is that it retains the weather radar in the nose, providing an extra element of reliability and redundancy.