AeroGB ACCEPTS HANDOVER OF TECNAM MULTI-MISSION AIRCRAFT (MMA) FROM AIRBORNE TECHNOLOGIES GmbH
09 Jul 12. A major milestone was showcased at Farnborough Airshow, UK. today, as AeroGB’s chairman, Peter Varnish OBE, FREng, accepted delivery of their MMA from AIRBORNE TECHNOLOGIES. AeroGB is the first Tecnam customer in the UK for this aircraft.
AeroGB will deploy the MMA from their base in Biggin Hill in a wide range of missions including surveillance operations for homeland security. Additionally, they will utilize their first MMA in surveying assignments for airborne measurements and environmental activities. A significant advantage of the MMA over competitors is that all sensor equipment is located internally within the aircraft through the use of a retractable sensor suite and only deployed when the target area is acquired.
Here at Farnborough, AeroGB´s MMA is equipped with a retractable FLIR/POLYTECH Ultraforce 275 HD surveillance gimbal camera operated via a sensor crew working environment, comprising three monitor screens (RGB video, infra-red video, moving map) and four control panels (serving the camera, data recorder, downlink system and moving map). Video, audio and data are transmitted to ground stations via an integrated microwave digital BMS line-of-sight system. The MMA‘s exact position and geo-referenced camera footprint is displayed on a moving map system supplied by EUROAVIONICS.
“We are delighted to be the first UK operator of a TECNAM MMA,” said Peter Varnish. “The potential for this most economic airborne sensor platform is immense for homeland security applications but also for Geodetical and Geophysical missions. The low operating cost and the ease of changing sensors on a ‘daily’ basis providing a versatile solution to ensure mission requirements are the key facts that assisted in our decision to purchase the Tecnam MMA. We are also delighted in forming our partnership with AIRBORNE TECHNOLOGIES, whom not only provide the sensor and aircraft as an integrated package but also have experience with operating many different sensor suits on varying missions. We will therefore share in their understanding for our applications, this gives us great confidence in our partnership and we look forward to working together.“
“With AeroGB´s decision and the recently successfully completed NPAS trail in Manchester and Wales, the UK market has developed significantly for us,” said Wolfgang Grumeth, Airborne Technologies CEO. “Here at Farnborough we display our competence to serve as a `one stop shop` for our clients, we display the Tecnam MMA with an example of a complete suite of mission equipment, surrounded by ground equipment consisting of a Land Rover providing a receiving station serving as ‘mobile command and control center’ from Broadcast Networks Limited and the ‘Rampmaster’ providing airport infrastructure for operation from remote strips.”
For Further details contact:
Steve Cooper AeroGB: stephen.cooper@aerogb.com
Graham James AeroGB: graham.james@aerogb.com
Marcus Gurtner, Airborne Technologies: m.gurtner@airbornetechnologies.at
You can visit AeroGB on the Airborne Technologies Stand Hall 4 at Farnborough or on the hard-standing where people are welcome to see the actual aircraft
www.aerogb.com
Issued on behalf of Aero GB by BATTLESPACE Publications
www.battle-technology.com