DSEI 2025: Deutsche Aircraft takes aim at special mission market with D328MR

German manufacturer Deutsche Aircraft is setting its sights on the defence market with its D328MR, a variant of the D328eco with a focus on maritime patrol and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Speaking to Shephard at DSEI, Markus Hahner, sales director for multi-role aircraft at Deutsche Aircraft, offered an insight into the company’s work developing its D328eco aircraft and its foray into the defence market with a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution for maritime monitoring and ISR operations.

An upgraded version of the D328 with a longer fuselage, the D328eco is the company’s latest offering to the commercial market and the D328MR will be the multi-role variant of this same aircraft.

The company rolled out its first D328eco prototype in May 2025, with a production line at Leipzig-Halle set to open in summer 2026. The first commercial aircraft is expected by 2027.

The D328MR builds heavily on its former Dornier pedigree D328 aircraft, which is already in use with the US Air Force as the C-146A Wolfhound. According to Hahner, there are around 153 D328 aircraft currently operated worldwide.

“It’s cost-effective to use commercial aircraft for multi-role applications rather than developing entirely new platforms for special missions – and that’s where Deutsche Aircraft has a clear advantage. By leveraging COTS technologies, we can accelerate integration timelines and reduce costs for our customers,” Hahner explained.

Plugging the gap for military forces

Adapting the D328eco as a COTS aircraft for military use is where the manufacturer is hoping to carve out a key target market for the D328MultiRole (D328MR) aircraft in air forces across Europe and worldwide. It has an anticipated range of 1,923nm, around eight hours of flight endurance and can fit two electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) systems of 20” and 15”.

Discussions are already underway with various defence ministries and potential multi-role customers who were watching the D328MR with “great interest”, Hahner confirmed. “There’s a noticeable capability lag across various air forces, and we see significant potential for the D328MR to fill that gap.”

At Paris Air Show, the company signed an MoU with Aerodata to develop a solution for a range of surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the D328eco. According to the company, the aircraft with its longer fuselage is equipped to fully integrate with various airforce or naval sensors.

The D328MR is designed to be a cost-efficient variant compared to other currently available maritime aircraft in terms of fuel efficiency, Hahner explained.

“In light of the current threat landscape, we are working closely with end users to further develop mission-specific capabilities – particularly in the areas of Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and ISR. The D328MR, enhanced with COTS solutions, offers a flexible and scalable platform to meet these evolving operational needs.”

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