Boeing Selects Business Jet for Maritime Surveillance Program

Boeing has selected Bombardier's Challenger 605 business jet as the platform for its Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) program, which offers the global market a capable, low-risk maritime surveillance system based on Boeing's proven P-8A mission system technology.

"The Challenger 605 is an ideal platform to host MSA's mission system, sensors and communications equipment," Tim Peters, Boeing vice president and general manager, Mobility, Surveillance and Engagement, said at the Dubai Airshow.

"It also provides the power, payload capacity, range, speed and endurance that our customers tell us they need for missions such as anti-piracy; coastal and border security; and long-range search and rescue."

Boeing teammate Field Aviation will modify the Challenger 605's structure and air vehicle systems into the MSA configuration. "Field Aviation has extensive experience engineering and modifying the Challenger family of aircraft for a variety of missions, including maritime surveillance," Peters said.

Field Aviation is currently modifying a Boeing-owned Challenger 604 jet into an MSA demonstrator aircraft that will complete ground and flight testing of the mission systems and be presented to potential customers in 2014.

MSA incorporates proven technologies developed for the P-8A Poseidon, the U.S. Navy's newest anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance system based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane.