Aircraft
King Air Spies Like an Eagle
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) has brought a special-missions-equipped King Air 350ER to the Dubai Air Show.
Recent political instability in the Middle East  has prompted interest in the special-missions King Air 350ER from local governments.
Recent political instability in the Middle East has prompted interest in the special-missions King Air 350ER from local governments.

Hawker Beechcraft (HBC) has brought a special-missions-equipped King Air 350ER to the Dubai Air Show to demonstrate the potential of melding this tried-and-true platform with the latest surveillance technologies for diverse tasks, including drug interdiction, search and rescue and electronic intelligence gathering.

The special-mission aircraft on static display here includes a belly-mounted radome for digital search radars and an electro-optic infrared lift used to extend a Star Safire/HD or MX-15 turret camera during the mission and retractable for post-mission transition flying. The quick-change interior can easily be reconfigured for medevac, troop transport, cargo or combi missions. All of these special-mission modifications are certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and available from the factory for qualified buyers.