Platforms // Fixed Wing  

DHC-6 Twin Otter By Viking Air

Combining the best of versatility and value, the DHC-6 Twin Otter is a dependable platform for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. AIMS-ISR was the mission system aboard Viking Air's special-mission Guardian 400 Twin Otter and managed EO/IR, radar, and wide-area search sensors in one operating picture.

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The Twin Otter as a versatile ISR & special-mission platform

Few aircraft match the Twin Otter’s combination of short-field performance and mission flexibility. Viking Air’s Series 400 needs as little as 1,200 feet to clear 50 feet on takeoff and flies on twin Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 turboprops for redundancy. It reconfigures between wheel, ski, float, and amphibious gear, putting an ISR crew over water, ice, or unimproved strips that larger patrol aircraft simply can’t reach. Its high-wing layout gives observers an unobstructed view, and the cabin, seating up to 19 in passenger configuration, reconfigures readily for operator consoles and sensor racks.

AIMS-ISR on the Guardian 400

Combining the best of versatility and value, the DHC-6 Twin Otter is a dependable platform for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. CarteNav’s AIMS-ISR mission system was the tactical workstation aboard Viking Air’s Guardian 400, the manufacturer’s purpose-built special-mission Twin Otter developed with Airborne Technologies for medium-range patrol, search and rescue, drug enforcement, and critical infrastructure protection. AIMS-ISR processed and managed imagery and data from the aircraft’s sensor suite into a real-time, geo-referenced local operating picture. It was controlled from a lightweight carbon-fibre tactical console with touch-screen displays and a hand controller for sensor targeting.

Sensors flown on the Guardian 400

  • HENSOLDT Argos EO/IR imaging turret: multi-spectral HDTV camera, HD thermal imager, laser range finder, and multi-mode auto-tracker
  • Leonardo Osprey radar system for wide-area surveillance
  • Sentient ViDAR wide-area optical search, paired with Kestrel moving-target indication, extending search coverage well beyond a standard EO/IR sensor

Mission profiles

  • Medium-range maritime & border patrol: extended search coverage from a fuel-efficient turboprop
  • Search and rescue: wide-area optical search combined with STOL access to remote sites
  • Drug enforcement & critical infrastructure protection: as demonstrated on the Guardian 400 world tour
  • Remote-area & disaster-response surveillance: unimproved-strip and water operations where larger aircraft can’t go

Proven on the Guardian 400

Viking Air's Guardian 400 demonstrator toured the world with AIMS-ISR at the heart of its tactical workstation, fusing EO/IR, radar, and wide-area optical search into one real-time operating picture for a medium-range patrol and SAR mission set.


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STOL Access, Full ISR Capability

The Twin Otter goes where other patrol aircraft can't. AIMS-ISR makes sure the mission picture is just as capable once it gets there.



Wide-Area Search, Extended

Paired with wide-area optical search and moving-target indication, AIMS-ISR lets a single Twin Otter sortie cover far more ocean or terrain than its EO/IR sensor alone could scan.




Any Landing Gear, One Mission System

Wheels, skis, floats, or amphibious gear: the Twin Otter's mission changes with the terrain, but AIMS-ISR's tactical workstation stays the same.




A Lightweight, Purpose-Built Console

The Guardian 400's carbon-fibre tactical workstation shows AIMS-ISR fits inside the Twin Otter's weight and space budget without compromising sensor control.


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Request DHC-6 Twin Otter Integration Info

AIMS-ISR is already integrated on the DHC-6 Twin Otter. CarteNav’s ISR Enablement Team is ready to discuss your program’s CONOPs, sensor fit, and the AIMS-C4 ground segment.