Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Field Aviation Company inc. of Toronto has contracted to acquire three Bombardier Q300 aircraft for conversion to the maritime surveillance mission for the Swedish Coast Guard.
Field Aviation is the prime contractor to the Swedish Coast Guard for its next-generation fisheries and environmental surveillance system. L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of Greenville, Texas will provide sensors and sensor integration. Deliveries to the Coast Guard are scheduled for 2007.
The sensor package includes surveillance radar, forward looking infra-red (FLIR), side looking radar (SLAR), infra-red ultraviolet line scanning, radio wave micromometer and other systems for environmental monitoring.
“We proposed the Bombardier Q300 as the best available aircraft to meet Swedish Coast Guard requirements,” said Joar Gronlund, Vice-president, Business Development, Field Aviation Company inc. “The Q300 has ample cabin space for all of the sensors currently required as well as those which might be added in the future. The performance of the aircraft, including cruise and loitering speeds, airfield requirements and mission endurance, also made the Q300 the ideal choice.
“The Noise and Vibration Suppression (NVS) in the Bombardier Q300 was of paramount importance because the aircraft will be conducting missions of long endurance and a quiet and comfortable working environment is critical,” Mr. Gronlund said.
While the contract announced today marks the first order for a special mission version of the Q300, Bombardier Dash 8-200 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) are now approaching 60,000 flying hours with Surveillance Australia on behalf of Australian Customs. The Bombardier Q200 has been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency for maritime patrol.
A Bombardier Global 5000 corporate jet aircraft was recently ordered by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for conversion to an airborne research and development laboratory. In addition, five Global Express corporate jets were chosen by the Royal Air Force in the U.K. for its ASTOR air-to-ground surveillance system.
“Special mission versions of our corporate and regional aircraft are becoming an increasingly important part of our business,” said Derek Gilmour, Vice-president, Government and Special Mission Aircraft Sales, Bombardier. “The combination of robust, reliable airframes and efficient, cost-effective performance make them prime candidates for non-airline, non-corporate missions.”
About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from regional aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2004 were $15.5 billion US and its shares are traded on the Toronto and Frankfurt stock exchanges (BBD and BBDd.F). News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.
Bombardier, Q300, Dash 8, Q200, Global 5000 and Global Express are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
For information:
Bert Cruickshank
Bombardier Aerospace
(416) 375-3030
www.bombardier.com