Article Posted on : - May 13, 2013

ATR 72 MP. Photo: Alenia Aermacchi

ROME (BNS): Alenia Aermacchi has signed an agreement to deliver two ATR 72-600 TMUA and six ATR 72-600 TMPA to the Turkish Navy.

The agreement signed with Savunma Sanayii Müsteşarlığı (SSM), the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, is an amendment to a previous deal between Alenia and the Turkish government for the delivery of 10 ATR 72-500 ASW to the Turkish Navy.

The change into the contract amendment is the adoption of the new -600 version of the ATR 72, the best in class of regional Turboprop. The original contract was based on the now out of production ATR 72-500.

The Turkish Navy will now obtain the last generation ATR72-600 equipped with a glass cockpit as well as more powerful engines that guarantee best performance and supportability for the next 30 years.

The two ATR 72-600TMUA--already in the modification phase at Alenia Aermacchi’s plant in Naples-Capodichino--will be used by the Turkish Navy for personnel and cargo transport and will be delivered in June and July 2013.

The six ATR 72-600TMPA are designed as multi-role assets to satisfy the Turkish Navy maritime patrol requirement.

The aircraft, named Meltem 3 in Turkey, will see the integration of the Thales AMASCOS mission system and will include new functionalities such as AIS, Link 16 and the last generation weapon systems, like the Mk 54 Light Weight Torpedo.

The AMASCOS (Airborne Maritime Situation & Control System) mission system relies on multiple sensors to detect, identify and track threats, maintain real-time tactical situation awareness, manage NATO and national tactical data links and deploy onboard weapon systems.

While Alenia Aermacchi is responsible for the design and development of the transformation of the basic platform and for the mission system’s installation and integration with the on-board systems of the basic aircraft, Thales will act as lead systems integrator for the ATR 72-600’s new avionics suite.

The work to convert the “green” ATR 72-600 in ATR 72-600TMPA will be performed by TAI, Turkish Aerospace Industry. The first ATR 72-600 arrived at TAI’s Akinci plant in April 2013 and is currently under modification.

The first TMPA will be delivered to the Turkish Navy in February 2017 and the remaining five TMPA in 2018.