Tecnam has announced it is expanding the mission capabilities of its P2012 twin as part of a collaboration with Apex Aviation, based in Taitung, Taiwan, to supply special-mission aircraft for the Taiwanese government.
Under a memorandum of understanding, the companies will develop a special mission version of the P2012 Sentinel SMP using equipment from IMSAR for surveillance and maritime patrol. The companies made the announcement during the opening of TADTE 2023, the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition.
Apex previously purchased a P2012 for skydive and aerial tourism operations in cooperation with the Taitung government in 2022, followed by a second aircraft outfitted as an ambulance earlier this year. Apex has options for six more P2012s.
The new P2012 special mission platform will be configured with IMSAR systems that include two electro-optical and infrared cameras, radar, infrared sensor, automatic identification system, and a data downlink installation.
“We believe that the Tecnam P2012 Sentinel SMP is the perfect platform for the Taiwan Coast Guard,” said Wilson Chien Yu Kao, CEO of Apex Aviation. “Its range, payload capability, and characteristics are ideal to fulfill the mission requirements. Equipped with IMSAR components, the new aircraft will be a state-of-the-art paradigm for maritime patrolling.”
Francesco Sferra, special mission platform sales and business development manager and experimental test pilot for Tecnam, said the company is “proud to partner with IMSAR and Apex to provide to the Taiwanese Coast Guard a modern aircraft able to perform the mission with the effectiveness, efficiency, and reliability offered by the P2012 Sentinel SMP platform.”
