Defence

The Mexican navy has received its first two of eight EADS Casa C-212-200 maritime patrol aircraft equipped with the company's Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) mission suite. The C-212s have been acquired under a 2002 contract that calls for the remaining six aircraft to undergo missionisation in Mexico. The next two aircraft are now in conversion at the Mexican navy's Veracruz site, with further mission equipment to be integrated including Raytheon's SeaVue maritime surveillance radar. The Mexican deal marks the first time that the FITS mission suite has been integrated with the C-212 airframe, although the system has already been installed in the Spanish navy's five Lockheed Martin P-3B Orion maritime patrol aircraft.