TSAMTO, July 14. The Pakistan Navy has decided to convert the first three Embraer Lineage 1000E airliners into basic patrol aircraft, which will replace the outdated P-3C Orion.
According to Defense News, the contract worth $ 190 million with the Italian Leonardo group includes the purchase of two aircraft in addition to one Lineage 1000 already located in Pakistan, with the subsequent design and modification of three Lineage 1000 aircraft into BPA aircraft with the installation and integration of the corresponding equipment package. The converted vehicles will be put into service as maritime patrol aircraft under the designation Sea Sultan.
Under an additional contract, the South African company Paramount Group will perform maintenance and repair work on Lineage 1000 aircraft before re-equipment.
As an informed source told Defense News, in November 2020, the Pakistani Navy announced a closed tender with the participation of Leonardo, Rheinland Air Services and Turkish Aerospace Industries, in which the Italian company won.
Leonardo became a finalist of the tender as a contender who offered the best variant of the Lineage 1000 modification to the BPA aircraft. The advantage of the Leonardo group's offer was provided, first of all, by the SeaSpray onboard radar, previously installed on RAS-72 Sea Eagle aircraft and Sea King helicopters, as well as Italian-made torpedoes already installed on anti-submarine defense aircraft of the Pakistan Navy.
As previously reported by TSAMTO, the Pakistani Navy received the first Lineage 1000 airliner produced by the Brazilian company Embraer, intended for conversion into a basic patrol aircraft and replacing the outdated P-3C Orion, in May of this year.
The plane was spotted on May 28 while taking off from Karachi. Lineage 1000 (construction number 19000453) was purchased from China Southern Airlines General Aviation (B-3203) and is currently equipped as an option for VIP transportation. In general, in the coming years, it is planned to purchase 10 Lineage 1000 aircraft for conversion into a marine version.