An economical surveillance platform family
The Diamond DA42 MPP and DA62 MPP take a distinct approach to airborne intelligence gathering. These twin-diesel special-mission aircraft are engineered for extended loiter at a fraction of conventional turbine fuel consumption. Both fly on globally available Jet-A, giving mission planners the economics for sustained, high-flight-hour surveillance campaigns.
Diamond’s composite airframes combine low acoustic and visual signatures with the durability demanding environments require. Flexible nose and belly provisions accommodate a range of sensor fits, from stabilized EO/IR turrets to radar and specialist payloads.
DA42 MPP or DA62 MPP
DA42 MPP: the compact twin, powered by two Austro AE 300 diesel engines, is the border-surveillance and police-aviation workhorse. It is nimble enough for austere operations, economical enough for high-tempo flying, and offers endurance beyond ten hours with auxiliary fuel. It also doubles as an ideal ISR training aircraft.
DA62 MPP: with a larger cabin, greater payload, and two Austro AE 330 engines, the DA62 MPP handles maritime patrol and multi-sensor ISR. It carries EO/IR, radar, and additional payloads simultaneously when the mission demands more airframe real estate.
Both share an avionics ecosystem, training pipeline, and maintenance base, which is a significant advantage for operators fielding mixed fleets.
Optionally piloted: same picture, any mode
The DA42 airframe has also flown in optionally-piloted configurations. The same aircraft is operable manned, uncrewed from a ground control station, or hybrid with a safety pilot aboard. AIMS-ISR delivers an identical georeferenced operating picture regardless of flight mode, so sortie planning can follow mission urgency and risk rather than crew logistics. Launch manned for rapid tasking, fly remote for extended loiter, and maintain one mission system and one training pipeline throughout.
AIMS-ISR on the Diamond MPPs
AIMS-ISR has flown on the Diamond MPP family, pairing these economical airframes with a full mission-management capability: a single georeferenced moving map, single-operator sensor control for EO/IR and radar correlation, real-time target tracking, and evidence-grade recorded mission data for post-flight analysis. Its sensor-agnostic architecture adapts to whatever the nose and belly bays carry, with no vendor lock-in.
Mission profiles
- Border surveillance: multi-hour loiter over defined routes on Jet-A economics
- Police aviation: compact, low-signature observation with evidence-grade recording
- Maritime patrol: DA62 MPP range and cabin support radar plus EO/IR for coastal and offshore tasking
- Fire surveillance: long endurance for real-time fire boundary tracking and thermal mapping
- Defence aviation & ISR: multi-sensor intelligence gathering, including optionally-piloted operations
- Aircrew training: an economical pipeline for ISR operator development
