The Mexican Navy has contracted EADS North America to provide contractor logistics support and service (CLSS) to four maritime patrol aircraft, the company said yesterday.
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| CN235-300 Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Photo: EADS North America. |
EADS will offer on-site technical support, management of parts and depot maintenance, according to a company release. The four aircraft are Airbus Military CN235-300s, which EADS delivered to Mexico in 2011 and 2012. The transfer was part of a U.S. Coast Guard-managed foreign sales and supports a cooperative security agreement in the region.
The CN325-300 is able to carry up to 13,200 pounds of payload or 51 personnel, according to Airbus. The company calls the craft its “robust and affordable workhorse” for its low fuel consumption and use in routine missions.
The maritime patrol aircraft configuration of the CN235-300 employs Airbus’ Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS), which translates the data gathered by the aircraft’s sensors into usable information for the crew.
Potential tasks for the craft in Mexico include homeland security, search and rescue, military readiness, cargo and personnel transport, drug interdiction and maritime environmental protection, according to EADS.
The U.S. Coast Guard currently flies a version of the CN235-300.