Page 56 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

SURVEY European MPAs Part 1

In recent years, MPAs have
adapted to the demands of
overland missions. However,
platforms like this French
Navy Atlantique 2 still train
intensively for the high-end
anti-submarine warfare fi ght.
Dassault Aviation
M ARITIME PATROL aircraft sensors. The most capable downlink information to (Survival Kit Air Droppable),
Both MPAs and MSAs can
radars, anti-shipping missiles and/
to people in distress.
(MPAs) are fixed-wing
assets, often in the
airliner class, equipped with or ASW weapons (typically the ground stations, providing MPAs over land
commanders with situational
AGM-84 Harpoon and lightweight
sensors and weapons. They torpedoes, respectively) are awareness over the sea. Some air arms have modified
can operate for up to around necessary to protect high-value Thanks to their long range, their MPAs to track terrorists over
ten hours and are generally assets, which might include nuclear MPAs have an important SAR land. With a lack of surveillance
tasked with three missions: submarines and aircraft carriers. role, reconnoitring areas well aircraft over Afghanistan,
anti-submarine warfare (ASW), Out-of-area operations are also beyond the range of local SAR certain MPAs have had to fulfil
anti-surface warfare (ASuW) a feature of modern MPA fleets. assets. Once detected, they can an intelligence, surveillance
and search and rescue (SAR). German P-3Cs have recently report a vessel’s location back and reconnaissance (ISR) role.
Russian surface and sub- deployed to Djibouti as part to base for local SAR agencies The French Navy’s Atlantique
surface threats have traditionally of Operation Atalanta, a NATO to set up a rescue operation. At 2 is an example of an aircraft
been the main focus of the MPA operation aimed at preventing the same time, the MPA or MSA that’s been upgraded with new
communities of the European Somali pirates from hijacking can drop life rafts and rations, systems to monitor activities
NATO and Partnership for seafaring vessels in the region. sometimes known as the SKAD over land as well as at sea.
Peace (PfP) air arms, which
are the focus of this survey. German Navy P-3C-IIs – former Royal
Netherlands Navy aircraft – operate
More recently, tracking potential around the Horn of Africa on anti-
terrorists and smugglers piracy missions. German Orions
have become increasingly began their fi rst overseas ops on July
important tasks. While MPAs 5-6, 2008 with a fl ight over the Gulf
of Aden. PIZ Bundeswehr
are primarily intended to
protect sovereign waters and
territory, some European air
arms also – or alternatively –
operate unarmed maritime
surveillance aircraft (MSAs).
Keeping territorial waters free
of unwelcome intruders calls for
these aircraft to have modern

56 // SEPTEMBER 2017 #354 www.airforcesmonthly.com