15 June 2010 -- The two CN235s aircraft ordered by the Mexican Navy departed Airbus Military’s facility of San Pablo (Seville) with destination to the Navy’s air base of Tapachula, on Friday 11th June.
These two CN235s, in their Maritime Patrol version (MPA), will join the fleet of seven C212 MPAs already in service with the Mexican Navy. With their greater range, higher resistance and a more modern technology which eases crew workload, they will allow the Navy to expand their maritime traffic surveillance, as well as their border and other control missions, to name a few applications.
Like the C212, the CN235 is fitted with the Fully Integrated Tactical (FITS) mission system. It will allow the Navy of Mexico to detect, track and classify small boats used for drug trafficking and smuggling. It also will be able to control the Exclusive Economic Zone or to carry out search and rescue missions. The Mexican Navy was the first to operate the FITS from 2004. This system analyses the information provided by several different surveillance sensors and provides it to the crew in an intelligent way. It is displayed on two operator consoles and a cockpit tactical display on the CN235.
About CN235
Able to carry up to six tonnes of payload and a maximux cruise speed of 240 kt (450 km/h), the CN235 is able to take off from and land on short, semi-prepared runways with soft surfaces thanks to its Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) characteristics and the strong landing gear with tandem low-pressure tyre. Its excellent handling qualities, high manoeuvrability and fast engine (two General Electric GE CT7-9CE-3,1750 shp) response allow safe critical operations at a very low altitude. Outstanding reliability and supportability result in high aircraft availability and the lowest life cycle cost (LCC) in its class. The CN235 MPA is in operation with the USCG, the Irish Air Corps and the Civil Guard in Spain, among others.
About FITS
FITS is in widespread service on Airbus Military aircraft with air arms in Chile, Ireland, and United States among others, and is now also operational with the Spanish and Brazilian Air Forces who both selected Airbus Military for the major upgrades of their ageing P-3 aircraft fleets
Airbus Military
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