• Mission

Main description

The All-Weather,
Multi-Role Force Multiplier
The AS565 MB is the naval version of the Panther family of helicopters. This all-weather, multi-role light helicopter can be operated from ship decks or offshore to cover a vast array of naval missions  such as maritime surveillance, search  and rescue (SAR), casualty evacuation,  vertical replenishment, offshore patrolling and counter-terrorism. The  AS565 MB is the ideal complementary  asset for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) tasks, such as submarine and surface target  destruction: It can launch its own torpedoes and provide Over-the-Horizon Targeting (OTHT) to surface ships.

• SAR and Medical Evacuation Missions

  For SAR and MEDEVAC missions, the AS565 MB has a flexible cabin that enables operators to tailor the configuration to their exact needs. It is rapidly reconfigurable as roles change, and can be equipped with the latest medical equipment. The AS565 MB’s SAR credentials are the best in the world: It has been the benchmark for medium range SAR aircraft for many years and continues to set the standard. The US Coast Guard, for example, currently operates over 100 Panther helicopters.

  Extensive SAR Equipment:

  • 4-axis Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS)
    
  • Flight Management System (FMS) with doppler and GPS
    
  • Search and weather radar
    
  • FLIR (optional)
    
  • Variable speed electric Class 1 rescue hoist:
    0 to 1.3 m/sec (0 to 250 ft/min)
    
  • Cargo sling load with dynamometer:
    907 kg (2,000 lbs) or 1,600 kg (2,500 lbs), depending on configuration
    
  • Emergency floatation gear
    
  • Stretcher-supporting structure
    
  • Loudspeaker and search light
    
  • MEDEVAC installation.

  SAR and Assistance Mission Profiles

  • 160 NM radius of action to hoist 2 to 4 survivors
    + 20 min. reserve (no cabin tank) at sea level ISA + 20°C
    
  • 105 NM radius of action to sling 400 kg load
    + 20 min. reserve (cabin tank) at sea level ISA + 20°C.

  
  

  
  

• Anti-Submarine Warfare

  

  Nowadays, surface ships are equipped with towed sonars. These sonars enable long-range submarine detection at variable depths far beyond a ship’s torpedo range. The AS565 MB is the perfect complementary asset for anti-submarine warfare (ASW): Ready either in the air or on the deck for torpedo attacks, the AS565 MB enables navies to strike farther, and allows ships to strike a submarine without having to close within the submarine’s own attack area.

• Law enforcement

  

  The quick and quiet AS565 MB is a highly cost-effective tool against piracy, smuggling, illegal fishing and for all policing roles in Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) or areas of national interest.

  For law enforcement missions, the AS565s endurance is 3 hours at loiter speed and can be configured for snipers and rapid boarding parties for weapons such as the 20-mm canon or cabin machine guns. It can also carry a range of sensors including electro-optics, searchlights and loudspeakers.

• Naval Missions

  

  For all types of naval missions, the AS565 MB perfectly fits the bill. Quiet and cost effective, the AS565 MB significantly multiplies a surface ship’s ability to conduct surveillance, Anti-Surface unit Warfare (ASuW) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). With an endurance of four hours, the AS565 MB is an affordable and valuable alternative to medium-class helicopters which are limited in their ability to perform full anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare (ASW/ASuW) missions. AS565 MB is an enabler and a force multiplier with an excellent record.

  Maritime surveillance

  Surface ships can only search within a limited area due to limitations imposed by its aerial height and speed. Equipped with an advanced search radar, the AS565 MB increases a ship’s capacity to perform surveillance by a factor of 10.

• Anti Surface Warfare and Over-The-Horizon-Targeting

  The AS565 MB can perform Over-the-Horizon Targeting (OTHT) for ships with long range anti-ship missiles. This quadruples surface ships’ effectiveness in anti-surface warfare (ASUW).

  With the new generation of air launched anti-ship missiles such as MBDA’s Future Anti Ship Guided Weapon (FASGW), the AS565 MB acts as a ship’s principal weapon system, enabling it to search, classify, shadow and strike with precision well beyond the horizon without the ship ever being detected. The endurance of the AS565 MB at loiter speed is more than 4 hours in maritime surveillance and OTHT roles.

• Shipborne operations

  The AS565 MB is fully qualified to operate from over one hundred classes of NATO ships, and complies with NATO’s standardization agreements (STANAGs) regarding tie down fittings, fuel hoses, DC & AC connectors and deck grids for “harpoon” deck-lock securing devices.

  This hydraulicallyactivated device enables the AS565 MB to land and take off from ship decks, regardless of the wind direction:
  Landings and takeoffs are possible with +/- 8° roll
  and +/- 2° pitch with a 45-knot headwind.