Leonardo menandatangani kontrak dengan Malaysia untuk dua ATR 72 MPA

Langkawi, 25 Mei 2023 – Kementerian Pertahanan Malaysia hari ini telah menandatangani kontrak bersama Leonardo bagi membekalkan dua platform ATR 72 MPA (Pesawat Peronda Maritim). 

Majlis menandatangani perjanjian telah berlangsung di Langkawi sempena pameran pertahanan Maritim dan Angkasa LIMA'23. 

Kontrak ini merupakan hasil dari pemilihan yang ditawarkan oleh Leonardo yang diumumkan pada bulan Oktober lalu dalam pembekalan dua pesawat Misi Khas ATR yang mempunyai konfigurasi Maritim Patrol serta perkhidmatan sokongan logistik dan latihan bersepadu yang berkaitan.

Pesawat Pelbagai Misi

ATR 72 MPA ialah pesawat turboprop berkembar yang direka untuk misi rondaan maritim yang kompleks. Ia adalah varian khusus terbaharu pesawat pengangkutan serantau ATR, sebahagian daripada pelbagai jenis yang dibangunkan oleh Leonardo untuk misi termasuk pengawasan maritim, Peperangan Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Peperangan unit Anti-Surface (AsuW), Search & Rescue (SAR), pemantauan alam sekitar, pemindahan perubatan dan pengangkutan kakitangan dan bahan-bahan.

Pesawat yang dipilih oleh Malaysia mengekalkan kebolehpercayaan, kebolehbaikan, kos kitar hidup rendah, dan ciri keselesaan dari ATR 72-600 asas. Ia juga akan dilengkapi dengan sistem misi yang fleksibel, sensor canggih, dan rangkaian komunikasi lengkap untuk misi Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) di darat dan laut. 

Sensor dan sistem misi akan dapat beroperasi dalam secara “standalone” dan net-centric, membolehkan pengumpulan, pemprosesan, dan perkongsian data strategik di kalangan operator, sambil memberikan kesedaran situasi yang lengkap tentang senario operasi. 

ATR 72 MPA dioptimumkan untuk patrol maritim, pengumpulan maklumat elektronik (ELINT), pengesanan dan penjejakan sasaran permukaan dan terbenam di laut, SAR, menangani aktiviti haram (pengedaran dadah, rompakan, dan penyeludupan), serta melindungi perairan wilayah. 

Terdapat potensi untuk menjadikan platform Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) dan Anti-Surface unit Warfare (AsuW) yang lengkap.

Sistem ATOS

Varian ATR 72 MPA, yang berkhidmat dengan organisasi ketenteraan dan penguatkuasa undang-undang, dilengkapi dengan sistem misi modular Leonardo ATOS (Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance), yang juga akan disertakan dalam konfigurasi Malaysia. 

ATOS menguruskan sensor-sensor yang terdapat di pesawat tersebut, menggabungkan maklumat yang dikumpul, dan menyediakan gambaran taktikal yang komprehensif dan sentiasa dikemaskini kepada misi  sistem operator. 

Dengan warisan komersial, ATR 72 MPA menampilkan ciri ergonomic reka bentuk yang menyokong kecekapan dan keberkesanan krew semasa misi yang biasanya boleh bertahan lebih daripada 8 jam.

Pesawat Misi Khas berasaskan ATR mampu memenuhi pelbagai keperluan pelanggan di seluruh rantau APAC, dengan banyak pengendali tempatan turboprop serantau ATR telah pun mendapat manfaat daripada sokongan logistik lanjutan.

Dario Marfè, SVP Aircraft Komersial & Perkhidmatan Pelanggan di Leonardo, berkata, "Kami berbangga kerana Kerajaan Malaysia telah memilih ATR 72 MPA kami, sebuah pesawat yang mewakili kemampuan teknologi maju Leonardo dalam reka bentuk dan integrasi platform dan sistem pada tahap tertinggi. 

ATR 72 MPA menggabungkan kehandalan dan kos operasi yang rendah, segala kelebihan pesawat pengangkutan penumpang serantau ATR 72-600, dan dilengkapi dengan sistem misi Leonardo yang berteknologi terkini. Ia ditempatkan di pasaran sebagai penyelesaian yang sangat efektif untuk keselamatan dan pertahanan pelanggannya”.

MALE UAV Launched

CACADOR

This coming June 30, Avionics Services S.A. officially launches its “MALE” UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) class 4 Caçador. The launching will take place at the Municipal Airdrome of Botucatu (SDBK) starting at 11:00. The event includes a retrospective of the project, the system’s capacity and information about its strong potential for usage in intelligence tactical missions by the Armed Forces, civilian defense, environmental defense, and agribusiness. It will conclude with a demonstration flight and real-time monitoring scheduled for around 14:00.

Caçador is based on the Heron-1 UAV, operated by more than 20 customers worldwide and developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which has been in use in Brazil by the Federal Police Department for more than 5 years, and whose maintenance has been conducted by Avionics itself. The aircraft has already complied with all proper regulations and obtained all permits required by the Brazilian government authorities. It is the only domestic UAV class 4 in operation in the country.

Among its features, Caçador is a medium-altitude, long endurance UAV capable of flying for more than 40 hours at an altitude of up to 30,000 feet, covering a 1,000 km range. The maximum takeoff weight  is 1.270 kg, allowing Caçador to transport multiple payloads simultaneously for a variety of missions. Moreover, the aircraft includes a wideband satellite communication channel for a range over 1,000 km from its command and control station—a valuable feature, especially in the case of large countries such as Brazil.

Since signing a contract for cooperation 3 years ago, IAI and Avionics Services have been working together to establish a strong Brazilian industrial base in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. The process includes the transfer of technology and know-how in order to ensure more independence to the Brazilian industry and proficiency in advanced and complex unmanned systems.  Avionics Services has laid the necessary infrastructure at the Airdrome of Botucatu for it to become a center of excellence for unmanned systems of this range.

WASSB awarded RM10mil JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Contract

Miri, Sarawak, 27 July 2015: Weststar Aviation Services Sdn Bhd (WASSB), a leading regional offshore helicopter transportation services provider will be utilizing its first in the region state-of-the-art AgustaWestland AW189 helicopter type to service recently awarded RM10 million JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Sdn Bhd contract.

The helicopter will fly from Miri Airport to transport offshore workers and goods for JX Nippon’s deep-water exploration drilling program at the deep-water block DW2F located 210 nautical miles offshore Sarawak, South China Sea. The contract has a duration of three months, with an extension option to come in view in October.

At the contract’s maiden flight commencement ceremony, WASSB Business Development Director, Datuk Anuar Noordin said, “We are pleased to have entered into this contract. Meeting our clients’ needs for safe and efficient transportation, the introduction of our AW189 helicopter type works out as a timely introduction, aptly corresponding to what the industry is looking for at the moment.”

“We are proud to be the first owner and operator of the AW189 helicopter in Asia Pacific. This is the first AW189 of four that we have ordered. Furthermore, this is also an important milestone in order to harness our unique opportunities for upward mobility, moving from medium type helicopter to heavy type helicopter. We are seeing more opportunities to utilize this type of heavy helicopter surfacing to support deep-water operations in Sabah and Sarawak,” Datuk Anuar emphasized.

“With the AW189 helicopter, our clients now have the option to run a more cost effective operations that translates into a comparatively lower cost per pax for every passenger on board,” added Datuk Anuar.

He concluded, “At a time when the oil and gas market is soft and plummeting oil prices are causing more companies to put their expansion plans on hold, the cost effectiveness of running the AW189 provides a simple solution for the current situation. Apart from that, the AW189 comes with the latest modern avionics system that is proven to improve the overall performance of the aircraft from every aspect particularly safety.”

According to Datuk Anuar, despite WASSB fifth base in Miri, albeit temporarily, WASSB aims to press ahead to broaden its clients’ base in Sabah and Sarawak with its AW189 helicopter type offering.

Weststar Aviation Services Sdn Bhd (WASSB) is a Malaysian based company that provides offshore helicopter transportation services to the oil and gas industry. Having made its regional presence strongly felt, WASSB is currently the largest provider of offshore helicopter transportation services in South East Asia. Our oil & gas clients include Petronas Carigali, ExxonMobil, Carigali Hess, CPOC, Talisman, Petrofac, Newfield, TOTAL, KPOC, Lundin, SapuraKencana Energy, WesternGeco, Hess, Shell, Tullow Oil, Mubadala Petroleum, CGG Veritas, ConocoPhillips, INPEX Offshore, PTTEP, Galp Energia Tarfayabb, PC Mauritania, EnQuest, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Co., and Kosmos Energy. At present, WASSB owns/operates a fleet of AgustaWestland and Sikorsky helicopters used exclusively to provide offshore support services for multinational oil and gas companies.