Beriev's Be-200 amphibious aircraft is to be offered to potential buyers with the option of Selex Galileo radar and mission equipment, under a collaboration agreement announced earlier this month.

"The joint approach puts Selex Galileo and Beriev in a strong position to compete for opportunities in the growing amphibian aircraft market, responding to the increasing need for open-sea security and surveillance, emergency operations and firefighting," the former says in a statement. Potential markets include South Africa, and other countries with "large coastal and island areas", it adds.

The pact between Finmeccanica company Selex and Russia's Rosoboronexport arms agency on behalf of Beriev was revealed during the HydroAviaSalon 2012 event, staged at Gelendzhik on Russia's Black Sea coast on 6-9 September.

Selex equipment that could potentially be included as part of future Be-200 sales campaigns includes its airborne tactical observation and surveillance mission system, which has already been integrated with types including the ATR 42. This could be used in combination with the mechanically scanned Gabbiano radar or Seaspray E active electronically scanned array sensor, it says.

Source: Flight International