The Pakistan Navy has inducted a Long-range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (Jet LRMP or LRMPA), which many claim is a direct deterrent to the Indian naval submarine presence in the northern Indian Ocean as well as the Arabian Sea.
The maritime patrol aircraft is expected to strengthen the naval aviation arm of the Pakistan Navy under the Sea Sultan programme. It is a major modernisation initiative by the Pakistan Navy to replace its ageing fleet of Lockheed P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. Embraer Lineage 1000 business jets will be converted into LRMPs after being heavily modified to handle complex naval warfare tasks, effectively acting as Pakistan's answer to the Indian Navy's P-8I Poseidon.
Apart from the maritime surveillance of Pakistan's sea lanes, coastal areas, and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Sea Sultan will also be capable of executing anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and intelligence-gathering operations. The project is said to combine Italian, Brazilian, Turkish, Chinese, and South African technologies.
Why Embraer Lineage 1000?
The Embraer Lineage 1000E is a twin-engine regional jet known for improved speed, altitude, and endurance compared to traditional turboprop patrol aircraft. According to available information, the reason for the Pakistan Navy zeroing in on the Brazilian business-jet airframe is its longer unrefuelled reach and lower operating costs.
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In 2021, Pakistan awarded a contract to Leonardo and Paramount to modify three Embraer Lineage 1000 aircraft into long-range maritime patrol platforms, Defence Security Asia said in a report. The three aircraft will be equipped with advanced systems, including Electronic Support Measures/Electronic Intelligence (ESM/ELINT) sensors, electro-optical systems, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, satellite communications, and chaff/flare dispensers, as well as torpedoes, sonobuoys, and depth charges, the report added.
The electronic systems and ELINT receivers can ensure that the aircraft can identify radar emissions from hostile warships, submarines, or coastal missile batteries without revealing its own location.