Special mission King Air moves to Japan
Japan’s army will soon have an operational fleet of eight King Air 350-family aircraft in service.
Textron Aviation announced on 25 February the recent delivery of a single King Air 350i aircraft destined for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
The aircraft configured for multiple special missions was handed over to Japcon Incorporated. Textron said the special mission suite included ‘a removable, belly-mounted, forward-looking infrared installation, forward executive cabin, communications equipment and racks’ without going into too much detail.
The aircraft has ‘devices for video transmission and infrared night vision to enhance its capacity to collect visual information’.
The King Air will be further modified in Japan, including adding a medical configuration, before the JGSDF takes delivery
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