TADTE 2023: Apex, IMSAR sign MOU to provide ISR services

A computer-generated image of the P2012 Sentinel SMP equipped with sensors such as an EO/IR pod and IMSAR's NSP-7 radar for ISR operations. (IMSAR)

Taiwan's Apex Flight Academy and Utah-based IMSAR have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2023 (TADTE 2023) to provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) of Taiwan.

IMSAR will integrate its NSP-7 radar system into Tecnam's P2012 Sentinel Special Mission Platform (SMP) aircraft procured by Apex to support ISR operations, Richard Weir, vice-president of International Business Development at IMSAR told Janes .

The CEO of Apex, Wilson Kao, told Janes that Apex currently operates two P2012 Sentinel SMPs and plans to acquire at least six more from Tecnam.

All the aircraft will be equipped with NSP-7 radars, 15-inch electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera balls, and automatic identification system (AIS) receivers as well as undergo communications upgrades to provide wide area maritime domain awareness (MDA) to users, Weir said.

“Since our [Apex's] Tecnam P2012 SMPs already have two camera hatch and power boxes installed, integrating the radars, infrared sensors, and data downlink systems is pretty much plug-and-play, and do not require any structural modification [to the aircraft],” Kao said.

Kao added that Apex procured its second P2012 Sentinel SMP in June after securing a government contract in October 2022 to provide air ambulance services to Kinmen County. The company follows a fee-for-service business model in providing its services under this contract and plans to pursue the same model while providing ISR services to the CGA.