Malaysian coast guard acquires amphibious Bombardier 415MP
24 Jan 2009
Canada's Bombardier Aerospace has announced that Malaysia's coast guard agency, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), has taken delivery of the first of two Bombardier 415MP amphibious aircraft ordered in June 2008 by the Malaysian government. Malaysia is the launch customer in Asia for the specialized aircraft.
A variant of the rugged Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft - the only aircraft specifically designed for aerial firefighting - the Bombardier 415MP will be modified for maritime surveillance to meet the needs of the MMEA. The plane is equipped with a surveillance suite that includes two side-looking airborne radars, a forward-looking infrared radar, an airborne maritime surveillance system, and other avionics and communications equipment.
"We are confident this hardworking aircraft, with its multi-purpose capabilities, will prove a worthy tool in Malaysia's efforts to patrol its extensive waterways and to enhance its search and rescue missions," said Michel Bourgeois, president, specialised and amphibious aircraft, Bombardier Aerospace, at the launch on Friday.
"The aircraft's ability to fly at low speed and low altitude, with great manoeuvrability, and to execute direct interventions on water, makes it an ideal aircraft for coastal patrol missions. It is a very cost-effective aircraft, able to carry out a multitude of specialized missions that previously required dedicated vessels and aircraft," Bourgeois said.
The Bombardier 415MP can be used in a variety of missions such as search and rescue, environmental protection, coastal patrol, and transportation. It is fitted with sophisticated sensors to locate and identify vessels, people in distress and pollutants.
Since delivery of the first Bombardier 415 aircraft in 1994, Bombardier Aerospace has delivered 69 Bombardier 415 aircraft, including three Bombardier 415MP aircraft, to Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Ontario, Quebec and Spain, with 42 aircraft in operation in the Mediterranean region alone.
