DA62 Special Mission Aircraft to DEA Aviation

Diamond Aircraft has delivered the next DA62 Special Mission Aircraft to its long-term partner DEA Aviation in the UK. The aircraft is configured as a maritime patrol aircraft including a high performance EO/ IR sensor, a maritime radar as well as a beyond-line-of-sight SATCOM system supplied by DEA.

DEA is regularly referred to as the pre-eminent provider of airborne ISR services in Europe and has been expanding rapidly in this field. Dicky Patounas, Director of Business Development said: “Working with our long-term friends in Austria has always been a pleasure. DEA selects the right aircraft fitted with the right sensors for our customers. We pride ourselves in delivering the best possible service for the best possible value. Our new DA62, and the associated sensor suite, delivers exactly that”.

DEA specialise in Airborne ISR, Aerial Survey and Flight Inspection and Flight Calibration services. The Diamond Aircraft Industries product line support these operations incredibly well.

For a while DEA has been busily working quietly and efficiently in the background. The company has delivered well over 5,000 flying hours of contracted ISR services in both the maritime and land domains and are booked to deliver an equivalent and growing number moving forwards. “Operationally reliable aircraft and systems are a key part of the provision of our services, and rank only second to our outstating people” Patounas says. “On a daily basis and around the clock we are monitoring the illegal activity taking place off our shores”.

Markus Fischer, Director Special Mission Aircraft “In general delivery hand over ceremonies are the most representative and final act of a long sales and delivery process and therefore always extraordinary to celebrate. With DEA as customer, but even more as a strategic long-term partner, operating more than 10 aircraft in total, it is a joint story of success and of proving the concept of extreme sufficient surveillance capabilities based on Diamond’s DA42 & DA62 Special Mission Aircraft. Having DEA as a customer, where they are Europe’s biggest MPP operator, is remarkable and we will not stop to improve our platforms to provide even better solutions to our partner and customers like DEA.”