Singapore Airshow 2022: Leonardo optimistic on prospects for Malaysian maritime patrol aircraft contest

The ATR 72MP aircraft, which has been offered to Malaysia in a contest for maritime patrol aircraft. (Leonardo)

Leonardo has confirmed its participation in Malaysia's maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) contest and is confident that the company has submitted the best proposal for this requirement.

The Malaysian Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) issued a tender notice seeking two MPAs for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) in August 2020. The notice was published in the country's daily newspapers and was also dispatched to the embassies of selected countries.

Leonardo has proposed its ATR 72MP twin-turboprop aircraft, which is a variant of the ATR 72-600 that is in service with several regional airlines based in Malaysia and Indonesia.

The ATR 72MP is being marketed as a low life-cycle cost, high availability maritime patrol platform that can also be configured for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (AsuW), and electronic intelligence (ELINT) missions.

The aircraft is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an electro-optical sensor turret with colour and monochrome cameras, an automatic identification system (AIS), and an airborne search and rescue system direction finder (ASARSDF).

These sensors are managed by an airborne tactical observation and surveillance (ATOS) mission system, which has been developed by Leonardo to enhance operator awareness, especially in mundane maritime environments.

“With these mission systems, we are providing a ‘single door solution' to the Malaysian air force with the ATR 72MP,” said Giovanni Timossi, Leonardo's vice-president of marketing for Asia and Oceania, in an interview with Janes at Singapore Airshow 2022.