African country getting maritime surveillance Citations

Cessna Citation fitted out with BIRD Aerosystems’ Airborne Surveillance, Intelligence and Observation maritime solution as well as its Mission Management system.
BIRD Aerosystems

After delivering a Cessna Citation to Angola for the maritime surveillance role, Israel’s BIRD Aerosystems has received a contract from an as yet unidentiied African client for several Citations conigured for maritime surveillance. The company said the contract involved ‘several’ aircraft, which will be itted with its Airborne Surveillance, Intelligence and Observation (ASIO) maritime solution as well as its Mission Management system. This will allow the aircraft to share information with ASIO mission management stations installed on the customer’s ships and at its headquarters. The Citations will be delivered as a turnkey system, which includes overhaul and upgrade, which will be carried out by subsidiary BIRD Aviation Cyprus.

BIRD Aerosystems supplied a Citation maritime surveillance aircraft to the Angolan Air Force under a $20 million contract in 2017. The aircraft was itted with Leonardo’s Se pray active electronically scanned array multimode surveillance radar and a Controp electro-optical sensor in a belly fairing. The aircraft also has an automatic identiication system receiver and satellite communications systems. More aircraft were to be delivered at a later date. Guy Martin