The first ATR72-500 aircraft due for modernisation under the Meltem III Programme arrived at TAI’s facilities on February 14, ‘o8. The Meltem III Programme contract, covering the procurement of 1o ATR72-500 aircraft and their modification into Anti-Submarine Warfare [ASW] aircraft for the Turkish Navy, was signed between Alenia Aeronautica S.p.A and TAI on December 21, ‘o5.
TAI, the main subcontractor to Alenia in the programme, will carry out modification activities at its facilities, including workshare that includes the design of the system installation and structural integration, the Kit-A and tools manufacture, procurement of material and support equipment, structural modification, assembly, and Ground Flight Support and Integrated Logistics Support [ILS] activities.
Under the structural modification work package, TAI will install a powerful AMASCOS-300 [Airborne Maritime Situation and Control System] mission system, selected in the Meltem II programme and developed by Thales, onto the ATR72-500.
The AMASCOS-300 will incorporate an OceanMaster 400 maritime surveillance radar [with SAR/ISAR/SPOT-SAR/STRIP-SAR/MMTI capabilities], a DR3000 ESM, four multifunction operator consoles, a TMS-200 Acoustic Processor [for sonobuoys], sonobuoy/marker launcher, an AN/ASQ-508[V] Magnetic Anomaly Detection [MAD], Link-11/Link-16, VHF/UHF radio sets, LN-100G INS/GPS, an ARS-700 Airborne Interrogator and Guidance System [AIGS], APX-113 IFF, AselFLIR-200T FLIR/TV system and an ASES-235M Self-protection System comprising AN/AAR-60 MILDS MWS and AN/ALE-47 CMDS.
TAI has already been selected as prime contractor for the avionic modernisations of the C-130B/E Hercules transport aircraft and T-38A Talon advanced jet trainers in the inventory of TuAF.