The Armed Forces of Malta has taken delivery of its second Hawker Beech King Air B200 maritime patrol aircraft.
The aircraft was bought and fitted to Malta's requirements as par of a €19.4m project co-financed by the European Union’s External Borders Fund.
The aircraft was flown from Braunschweig near Berlin, Germany, piloted by Captain Klaus Kuehl, the test pilot of Aerodata and Major George Abela.
It was escorted into Maltese airspace by its ‘elder sister’, AS1126 flown by Major Mark Said and Lieutenant Pierre Carabez. The aircraft was flown a thousand nautical miles directly from Braunschweig to Luqa in under four hours.
The project included the procurement of the aircraft, training for pilots, aircraft technicians and mission system operators and a field support package for the aircraft and equipment.
The King Air MPA is operated by a crew of five: two pilots, a mission system operator and two observers, who are also trained as mission system operators. The general arrangement of the aircraft also includes a small galley, toilet and air conditioning. Communications include internet, satellite phone and...
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