Twin Otter Guardian 400

AEVEX has a unique focus on the development of special missions aircraft across a wide variety of platforms that include turboprops, business jet, and transport category aircraft, with a special focus in the DHC-6 Twin Otter series. AEVEX’s catalogue of special modifications provides customers with unlimited opportunities to develop unique configurations for specific missions. As a recent example, AEVEX was the Prime Contractor for the development and integration of a fleet of DHC-6 Twin Otter Guardian 400 aircraft for the Vietnam Navy.

The Guardian 400 as a maritime patrol platform for the Vietnam Navy was derived from AEVEX’s vast experience in the integration of new radar systems with fixed wing aircraft. The Vietnam Navy’s Guardian 400 was specifically configured using Israel Aerospace Industries’ ELTA Systems Ltd.’s EL/M-2022A(V)3 Multi Mode Surveillance Tracking and Imaging Radar system. It was integrated with an Electro-Optical Infrared (EO-IR) system onto the nose of the aircraft to provide maximum visibility during operations in wheeled, float, or amphibious float configurations.

AEVEX’s Guardian 400 configuration provides a robust and flexible design suited to accommodate a variety of currently available radar systems that includes, but is not limited to, the ELTA EL/M-2022A(V)3, Leonardo (Selex) Seaspray 5000E, Telephonics RDR-1700A/B or RDR-1500B, Selex Seaspray 5000E, General Atomics Lynx, the Thales’ Imaster and other off-the-shelf or specialty radar/sensor systems. The nose mounted radome configuration can be designed to meet unique customer specifications and provides flexibility for a variety of sensors. It has no effect on aircraft flight performance.

Various EO-IR systems from smaller eight inch (8”) turrets up to twenty-five inch (25”) (L-3 Wescam MX-25) are available that can be nose mounted, co-located with the radar, or mounted within AEVEX’s proprietary enlarged camera portal located in the belly of the aft fuselage. Systems can be fixed or used with a retract mechanism as appropriate for the customer’s specific configuration. When not required the systems can be removed, and the aircraft can be easily returned to a standard de-missionized configuration.