Mauritania turns DC-3 into surveillance aircraft

The Mauritanian Air Force has increased its ability to monitor the country's vast, sparsely populated territory by upgrading its Basler Turbo BT-67 with an electro-optical (EO) turret and associated mission systems so it can carry out surveillance as well as transport duties.
The BT-67 is a refurbished DC-3 acquired by the FAIM in 1999. The US Department of State Air Wing operates at least one BT-67 that has been similarly upgraded with an under-nose FLIR Systems Star SAFIRE turret.
L-3 Wescam said it had delivered two MX-15 sensor turrets to Mauritania, but these had been fitted to Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft. Although the FAIM was not previously known to operate Caravans, it is possible that one unit could have been moved to the BT-67 in-country.
The FAIM also operates Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucanos that are equipped with Star SAFIRE III turrets, according to FLIR Systems, but the BT-67 has a significantly longer endurance than these light attack aircraft.
janes

SAAF has “miniscule” maritime capability

The South African Air Force’s miniscule airborne maritime capability has become even more miniscule, according to defence analyst Helmoed Römer Heitman.

This follows the tragic loss of the “Gooney Bird” C-47TP Turbo Dakota in the Drakensberg mountains in December, and the writing off (as a Category Five loss) of another C-47TP following a landing incident at Umtata airport in November.

Unofficial sources indicated there are now nine C-47s in the SAAF’s inventory. No official figures were available from the South African Air Force, despite repeated requests since mid-December, on the number of converted C-47 aircraft still in service at AFB Ysterplaat’s 35 Squadron. Five of these are configured for maritime patrol operations, two for transport, one as a transport/photographic platform and the remaining one set up for electronic warfare. According to the Squadron website it originally had 11 of the turbo power plant engined aircraft.

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