Textron Aviation Delivers Beechcraft King Air 350i To Japan Ground Self-Defense Force For Special Missions

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Textron Aviation recently delivered a Beechcraft King Air 350i twin-engine turboprop equipped to the Japan Ground Self Defense Force. (Photo courtesy of Textron Aviation.)

Textron Aviation has delivered a Beechcraft King Air 350i to Japcon, a Japanese provider of aviation consulting and aircraft sales, management, maintenance, repair, and overhaul services. The twin-engine turboprop is equipped with a removable belly-mounted forward-looking infrared (FLIR) installation and other special-mission modifications. The Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) bought and owns the plane, which will be operated by its Renraku Teisatsu Hikotai communication and reconnaissance squadron.

Ready To Serve

Other special-mission modifications of the JGSDF’s newest King Air 350i include a forward executive cabin, communications equipment, and racks. Further modifications in Japan will enable the plane to enter service as a LR-2, or liaison and reconnaissance, aircraft. It will join seven other LR-2 King Air 350s in the JGSDF’s fleet. The JGSDF uses them to provide transport between airfields in Japan, including transporting emergency medical patients from remote islands. The plane is equipped with a reconnaissance camera, video transmission equipment, and infrared night vision.

“The LR-2 fleet has been serving an enduring mission by providing transport, reconnaissance, and medical evacuation operations in Japan,” says Bob Gibbs, Textron Aviation vice president of special mission sales. “When the JGSDF needed a modern aircraft with low direct operating costs, it again chose the Beechcraft King Air 350 platform.”

Find Your King Air

Nearly 7,600 Beechcraft King Air planes have entered service worldwide since 1964. Textron says the King Air family is the world’s best-selling turboprop lineup. The 11-passenger King Air 360 is the latest variant, offering an 1,806-nautical-mile (3,344-kilometer) flight range, a 5,145-pound (2,333.7-kilogram) useful load, and maximum cruise speed of 312 ktas.

Controller.com offers hundreds of new and used Beechcraft airplanes for sale every day, including a large selection of King Air 350s.

Calculate Aircraft Costs Over Time

To determine how much specific aircraft will cost your organization over time, and to compare the operating costs of multiple types of aircraft, visit Aircraft Cost Calculator.

Source: Textron Aviation