Pakistani contract expedites first MPA airframe conversion
The Pakistan Navy will convert new maritime patrol aircraft based on the Lineage 1000E business jet. (Embraer)
Pakistan wants a fleet of ten long-range maritime patrol aircraft, and conversion of the first three has been contracted.
The Pakistan Navy (PN) has chosen a European contractor to convert three of Embraer’s Lineage 1000E ‘ultra-large’ business jet to form its future long-range maritime patrol aircraft fleet.
Leonardo has been contracted to perform design, conversion and integration work for the aircraft’s maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare packages. In Pakistani service, it will be called the Sea Sultan, and it will help replace the PN’s ageing fleet of seven P-3C Orion aircraft.
It is expected that Leonardo will install its Seaspray AESA radar as well as a torpedo launch system. The OEM also makes EO/IR sensors, so presumably, it will
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