AIR International – June 2018

LEONARDO-FINMECCANICA P-72A MILITARY

http://www.airinternational.com | 75

P-72s at Sigonella

machine should have been delivered in

December 2017, but because of contractual

concerns it had still not been accepted by

May 31, 2018. According to the contract, the

fourth aircraft should be delivered some three

or four months after the delivery of the third.

System described

AIR International spoke with Lieutenant

Colonel Alfredo ‘N’, Commander of the

Gruppo E cienza Velivoli (Maintenance

Squadron) of 41° Stormo. He said: “The

P-72 is essentially an ATR-72-600 aircraft

modifi ed by the Leonardo company with

the integration of an indigenously produced

mission system, the ATOS [Airborne Tactical

Observation and Surveillance]. The aircraft

is a technological gem, as it houses state-

of-the-art sensors, which are today fi tted to

aircraft of the latest generation.”

The ATOS system, produced by the

Divisione Sistemi Avionici e Spaziali of

Leonardo (the former Selex ES), is an

open-architecture mission management

system that integrates a certain number

of sensors and subsystems according to a

modular design. The version selected by the

Aeronautica Militare for installation in the

P-72A comprises three main sensors: the

active electronically scanned array Seaspray

7300E radar, the electro-optical Star Safi re

HD turret, and a self-defence suite based

on the Elettronica ELT-800V2 electronic

support measures (ESM) system, which also

has electronic intelligence (ELINT) and radar

warning receiver capability. This defensive aid

sub-system (DASS) suite is derived from that

fi tted to the C-27J transport, and is managed

by a new computer that also controls a laser

warning system and cha and fl are launchers.

The avionics equipment fi t is completed by

a multi-datalink system that has Link 11 and

Link 16 capacity, a SICRAL Ku-band satellite

communications system, a VORTEX, a VMF

system to classify radar signatures, and an

AIS maritime tra c identifi cation system.

The ATOS is integrated with the glass cockpit

avionics used to manage the aircraft, which in

addition to the instrumentation of the civilian

version includes a TACAN, two SAASM VI INS/

GPS, an IFF TX and a communications suite of

four VHF/UHF and two HF radios. In contrast

to the fi rst two aircraft delivered, those in fi nal

confi guration will additionally host the SICRAL

system also with Ka-band, C-SAR ASARS

encrypted radio and satellite transceivers for

secure communications, and a searchlight

with an aiming system, mounted on the

starboard side of the fuselage. These systems

will subsequently be retrofi tted by Leonardo

to the fi rst two aircraft. The work will be

fairly complex and it is likely each aircraft

will be o ine for about six months while the

modifi cations are made.

Discussing the availability of the aircraft,

Lt Col ‘N’ told AIR International: “The aircraft

has proven to be particularly fl exible and

available for the mission types that we

perform today. In total, in 2017 the two

P-72s at Sigonella