DEA Aviation in the UK has taken delivery of a special mission DA62 from Diamond Aircraft. The aircraft is configured for maritime patrol and includes a high performance EO/IR sensor, a maritime radar and a beyond-line-of-sight satcom system supplied by DEA.

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

Specialising in airborne ISR, aerial survey and flight inspection and flight calibration services, the company has delivered over 5,000 flying hours of contracted ISR services in both the maritime and land domains. “Operationally reliable aircraft and systems are a key part of the provision of our services, and rank only second to our outstanding people,” Patounas explains. “On a daily basis and around the clock we are monitoring the illegal activity taking place off our shores.”

Diamond's director of special mission aircraft Markus Fischer adds: “In general, hand over ceremonies are the most representative and final act of a long sales and delivery process, and are therefore always extraordinary to celebrate. With DEA as a customer, but even more as a strategic long-term partner that operates 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 and DA62 special mission aircraft.

"Having DEA as a customer, 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.”