Leonardo and Diamond Aircraft boost capability of DA62 Mission Surveillance Aircraft

At the Dubai Air Show 2019, Leonardo and Diamond Aircraft Industries have announced that they will be expanding their collaboration to integrate Leonardo’s Gabbiano Ultra-Light TS-80 radar onto the Diamond DA62 MSA (Mission Surveillance Aircraft). The radar will be integrated into Leonardo’s on-board ATOS (Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance) mission system, boosting the surveillance range of the platform, widening the range of missions it can perform and expanding its market potential. The Integration is expected to be complete by early 2020 and the Gabbiano Ultra-Light TS-80 equipped platform is available for order now.

The news follows Leonardo and Diamond Aircraft’s announcement this June that they are teaming up to offer the DA62 MSA, a version of Diamond’s twin-engine DA62 aircraft specially tailored for maritime and over-land surveillance missions, with Leonardo’s ATOS  mission system at its heart. At launch, the platform was equipped with Gabbiano Ultra-Light TS-20 radar, now in this latest development the two companies have agreed to also integrate the Leonardo Gabbiano Ultra-Light TS-80 radar as an ‘off-the-shelf’ fit, providing even longer ranges for the extensive suite of Gabbiano-family radar modes and giving potential customers a wider range of options to choose from.

The DA62 MSA is the latest variant of Diamond Aircraft’s successful Special Mission Aircraft portfolio. The all-carbon-fibre, twin-engine aircraft is equipped with a state-of-the-art glass cockpit and a fully integrated autopilot. It is powered by two turbo charged jet-fuel engines which enable the aircraft to stay airborne for up to eight hours due to their superb fuel efficiency. The carbon fibre material provides for unlimited airframe life and is not subject to corrosion, even when operated in saline and humid environments. Together, fuel efficiency and the unlimited airframe life combine for extremely low direct operating costs, making the DA62 MSA the most cost-efficient Special Mission Aircraft in its class.

Gabbiano-family radars have been selected by fourteen international customers and have been installed on a wide variety of platforms. The TS-80 variant is so named because of its ability to output 80 watts of power, delivering long-range surveillance. The radar also features a highly-competitive mean-time-between-failure rate of 2500 hours and a 360° antenna group with wide-elevation scan (+20°/-55°).

Like the Gabbiano Ultra-Light TS-20, the Gabbiano Ultra-Light TS-80 comes equipped with the full Gabbiano family mode suite, which has been continuously expanded over more than 10 years. This includes air-to-sea surveillance with Track While Scan (TWS), high resolution ground mapping (Spot/Strip-SAR), ship target imaging and classification with ISAR mode and navigation with ground mapping and weather avoidance.