For more than 20 years Reims Aviation has developed a unique know-how in mission system integration onboard the F406. Today more than half of the F406 fleet is operated for special missions throughout the world.

Basic features of the aircraft are particularly adapted to these missions:

• Large scale of operating speeds (from 77 to 246 kts),
• 360° non obstructed visibility through large windows,
• Low empty weight,
• Maximum safety with 2 PT6A engines,
• Long endurance with more than 6 hours mission time (+45’ reserves).

Thanks to its Design Organisation Approval (DOA, EASA PART 21 JA) Reims Aviation keeps developing new features:

• Anti corrosion proofing of the airframe for overseas operations,
• To date more than 150 mission kits EASA – FAA certified,
• Since 2004 the 10,000 primary parts composing the aircraft have been digitalized under Dassault System Catia V5 software to facilitate any design modifications required by our Customers (lower design and fabrication delays, lower cost).

Available soon:

• Extended Maximum Ramp Weight to 4,700 Kg
  (restricted area, non commercial flights),
• Additional fuel tanks in engine nacelles:
  • Easily retrofitted on existing F406,
  • +195 L (approx. +1 H mission time),
  • No drag penalty.
• New air conditioning system with 20,000 BTU capacity especially designed for special mission equipped aircraft.

Maritime Surveillance

Narcotics, illegal immigration, fishing activities, Search And Rescue, etc. The F406 is the obvious choice for a proven, performing and cost-effective solution for 200 NM Exclusive Economic Zones monitoring.

For more than 20 years Reims Aviation has been dealing and cooperating with major names of the Electronic and Defence market such as THALES, WESCAM, Caledonian Airborne System, FSI, TELEPHONICS, SAGEM, etc to develop solutions adapted to each Customer’s need in the frame of maritime surveillance operations.

Pollution Monitoring 

95% of oil pollution at sea is due to carriers cleaning their tanks on their way.
This calamity for marine resources needs dedicated means to be fought.

Thanks to its 20 year long cooperation with the French Customs as well as with major actors of the anti pollution scene (Swedish Space Corporation, SAGEM, TERMA, ERICSSON), Reims Aviation has developed a state-of-the-art solution for being able to detect, identify and then to efficiently prosecute the polluters.

Lately Reims Aviation together with Caledonian Airborne System has developed a 12 Kg low light TV camera enabling day and night vessel registration identification...
There is no more rest for polluters who can be hunted during day and night.

Cartography / Geosurvey

Easy to modify, cheap to operate, high endurance:
the F406 is the logic choice for cartography and geosurvey applications.

The aircraft is equipped with a camera hole aft cabin protected by electric sliding doors which avoid use of an optical glass interface.

Thanks to its digital mock-up developed under Dassault System Catia V5 design software, Reims Aviation can design fully customized mission system integration solutions for any type of geosurvey operations.

Target Towing

The target towing version of the F 406 has been developed to provide ground-to-air or air-to-air firing practice for gunners.

Such mission aims at:

• Saving money by reduction of the training time and ammunition consumption
• Increasing rapidly both accuracy and efficiency of the gunners and the weapon system operator

The miss distance between a supersonic projectile and a sleeve target is measured in real time using an acoustical scoring system.

Thanks to the cargo door the target towing equipment can be easily removed from the cabin and the aircraft be reconfigured for transport missions (Officers, troops or freight), pilots training or visual surveillance.