Article Posted on : - Dec 07, 2010

The Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350

ST. LOUIS (BNS): The US Army has awarded Boeing a two-year engineering and manufacturing development contract for the Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System.

EMARSS is a manned, airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system. It will provide a persistent capability to detect, locate, classify/identify and track surface targets in nearly all weather conditions, day or night, with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.

The initial contract covers the engineering and manufacturing development of four aircraft, with options for two additional aircraft, six low rate initial production aircraft, and interim contractor logistics support, Boeing said.

Boeing’s EMARSS will consist of a commercial derivative aircraft, the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350.

The aircraft will be equipped with an electro-optic and infrared full-motion video sensor; a communications intelligence collection system; an aerial precision guidance system; line-of-sight tactical and beyond line-of-sight communications suites; two operator workstations, and a self-protection suite.