Pakistan’s Navy has selected the Embraer Lineage 1000 jetliner to replace its P-3C Orion long-range maritime patrol aircraft,
a source with knowledge of the program has confirmed to Defense News.
Outgoing naval chief Adm. Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi announced Oct. 6
that the Navy would replace its P-3C Orion fleet with 10 converted commercial jets,
the first of which has been ordered. However, he did not identify the type.
Pakistan has secured two more airframes of the Embraer Lineage 1000 aircraft for the Sea Sultan program. The airframes are A6-HHS and most likely A6-IGT. The aircraft were owned by Falcon Aviation Services, Abu Dhabi. The aircraft were flown after purchase to Johannesburg, South Africa and then from there to Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria, where the modification work is being done by Paramount Group of South Africa using subsystems from Leonardo of Italy at a cost of $100 million per aircraft.
After wide-ranging and extensive modifications, the Lineage 1000s will become the Pakistan Navy ‘Sea Sultan’ jet-powered LR-MPA, designed specifically for high endurance and long range missions focusing on Anti-Submarine (ASW), Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW) as well as Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR), ELINT/SIGINT, ESM, command and control, maritime patrol and Airborne Early Warning (AEW). The system will feature a state-of-the-art sensor suite to enhance situational awareness. It is likely the aircraft will feature an AESA surface search radar, an internal bomb bay carry torpedos, sonobuoys, depth charges, anti-surface cruise missiles, and an advanced defensive suite.
Pakistan already has one Embraer Lineage 1000 already in Karachi for training of pilots, whereas two will undergo modifications in South Africa. After modifications are completed, they will be flown to Karachi and inducted into the Pakistan Navy, while the one aircraft already here will then be flown to South Africa for its modifications, along with other units the Pakistan Navy will have bought by then.
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