Daher Aircraft is introducing a range of avionics and systems enhancements for its Kodiak 900 and Kodiak Series III aircraft in 2025, further improving their operability, maintainability and flight safety along with increasing the commonality between these two versions and the company’s TBM 960 aircraft.

The improvements involve both standard and optional equipment, and are being applied on new production Kodiaks delivered beginning this year from Daher Aircraft’s Sandpoint, Idaho, manufacturing and final assembly facility.

The enhancements for the Kodiak were detailed by Daher Aircraft CEO Nicolas Chabbert during the company’s show-opening press conference at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida.

Chabbert also announced the delivery target of 30 Kodiak aircraft in 2025, a 15 per cent increase from the previous year, along with the planned deliveries of 62 TBM 960s from Daher Aircraft’s production and final assembly facility in Tarbes, France, representing a nearly 11 per cent increase from 2024.

“The Kodiak is benefitting once again from Daher Aircraft’s commitment to continual improvement across its product lines, reflecting advancements in technology and systems, as well as meeting the evolving operational requirements of our customers,” Chabbert explains.

Enhancements applied to both the cornerstone Kodiak 100 Series III version and the new, larger Kodiak 900 include Garmin’s GDL 60 datalink and PlaneSync technology. This provides a ‘connected aircraft’ solution that enables rapid and wireless downloads of navigation and database updates, automatic database logging for simplified flight and engine performance tracking, along with remote access and aircraft wake-up for the check of fuel and system status via 4G LTE or wi-fi. Also available is an ADS-B OFF mode for special mission operations.

“With PlaneSync, the Kodiak 900 and Kodiak 100 Series III fleets now have a single advanced connectivity solution, which is harmonised as well with the TBM 960, thereby empowering pilots with smarter, simpler and more efficient operations,” Chabbert goes on.

Another enhancement for the Kodiak 900 and Kodiak 100 Series III in 2025 is the integration of new external lights from Whelen Aerospace Technologies for landing, taxi and navigation/strobe recognition, all of which improve nighttime visibility and day/night safety, and offer longer service life.

The Avionics One package for the Kodiak 900 and Kodiak Series III has the following new options in 2025: Garmin’s all-digital GWX 8000 StormOptix doppler weather radar, with volumetric scanning and automatic threat analysis; the all-digital GRA55 radar altimeter with state-of-the-art digital signal processing technology for increased accuracy; and the GTX345D diversity transponder with intuitive situational awareness tools for reduced pilot workload, providing real-time traffic and weather information in the cockpit and delivering enhanced signal reception.

An upgrade for Kodiak 100 Series III aircraft in 2025 is the incorporation of an MD302 Standby Attitude Module and its associated MD32 magnetometer, which already equip the Kodiak 900.

Produced by Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, the MD302 Standby Attitude Module is a two-inch digital standby instrument that provides attitude, altitude, airspeed, slip, vertical trend and heading in a unique two-screen display. Independent heading reference for the MD302 is delivered by the MD32 magnetometer without the need for special installation hardware or orientation limitations.

Daher Aircraft acquired the Kodiak product line in 2019 and has invested millions of dollars to evolve these ‘go-anywhere’ aircraft that are renowned for their STOL capabilities in remote and challenging environments, rugged durability and payload capacity. Since the acquisition, Daher Aircraft has introduced the Series III version of the cornerstone Kodiak 100 and launched the larger Kodiak 900.

Production capability at Daher Aircraft’s Sandpoint, Idaho, facility has been improved with the creation of a $2.7m aircraft paint facility, along with the addition of a second final assembly line that mirrors the build-up of Kodiak 100s and Kodiak 900s once their basic airframes have been assembled.

Looking to the future, a new North American final assembly line for Daher Aircraft is being created at the Stuart, Florida, industrial site of Daher’s parent company, where large aerostructures currently are assembled. This new final assembly line will enter operation next year by building TBM aircraft, with the possibility of adding Kodiak final assembly at a later date.

More than 365 Kodiaks have been delivered worldwide in the Kodiak 100 and Kodiak 900 versions, with the global fleet accumulating a combined total of approximately 433,000 flight hours. The customer and user base includes humanitarian organisations, companies and businesses, and individual owners, along with a rapidly growing number of multi-mission operators in the public service, environmental and law enforcement sectors.