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BACKGROUND.
Seabird Aviation Jordan LLC (Seabird) was formed in 2003 as the aviation arm of the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) to serve the growing requirement for aviation products and services within the Middle East and North Africa. In 2005, the company secured a 25 year license from Seabird Aviation Australia, the Design Authority for the SEEKER Aircraft, to manufacture the SEEKER for applications worldwide. The Australian company has been in existence since 1986.
In 2005 Seabird Aviation Jordan became a joint venture between KADDB and the Dabin Group, a Middle Eastern industrial and investment group with a large portfolio of investment in Retail, Hotels, Construction, Property and Manufacturing.
Seabird Aviation Jordan is located at Golf Ramp, Marka Airport, Amman, Jordan, where the company occupies some 5,500 square metres of aircraft hangers, workshops and offices within the facilities originally constructed for the SOFEX International Exhibition. Seabird will relocate in 2007 to new, larger facilities offering some 58,000 square metres of covered space, to be purpose-built within the Royal Jordanian Air Force sector at the Queen Alia International Airport, Amman.
CAPABILITIES AND KEY PROGRAMMES.
Seabird’s scope of work covers the full spectrum of development and production of light aircraft, to include computer aided design and simulation, prototyping, trials and evaluation, product optimisation and, finally, on to industrialisation, supply and support. Seabird provides products and services to the military, government and the private commercial sectors. Seabird’s workforce includes highly qualified multi-lingual managers, test pilots, mechanical and electrical aero-engineers, logisticians, aircraft mechanics, and many specialties such as engine operators and avionics technicians. Seabird has a proven track record in manufacturing and modifying aircraft and conducting successful flight tests and integration of complex airborne equipment.
Key capabilities include:
- Flight Test and Certification;
- Commercial off-the-shelf production and flight testing of special mission aircraft using combined military specifications and FAA airworthiness standards;
- FAA (FAR Parts 23, 25, and 36) programme management of Supplemental Type Certification (STC) programmes;
- Military flight programme management and services during development, prototype, and operational evaluation phases;
- Aeronautical engineering design and analysis including performance, stability and control, structural, electrical, functional hazard assessments, operational analysis, etc;
- Manned and unmanned aircraft systems and sensor integration (structural, electrical, PVI, etc.);
- Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS) integration;
- Aircrew training;
- Specialised logistic support.
SEEKER SB7L-360.
The SEEKER SB7L-360 is Seabird’s lead product and represents a cost effective and truly versatile manned aerial surveillance platform. The SEEKER offers the User outstanding levels of visibility across the forward hemisphere normally associated with helicopters, but in a platform whose acquisition and operating costs are typically less than one third. Its useful payload enables long-endurance missions whilst carrying advanced surveillance equipment, both visual and infra-red, as well as live video transmission systems, and so permits the timely monitoring and reporting of events, risks or threats of relevance to the User.
The SEEKER has an agile and stealthy profile and so will enable its aircrew to approach areas of interest with low risk of detection and report immediately their observations using both line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight voice communications. The SEEKER’s reliability and maintainability characteristics will support a Mission Tempo of 8 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, with an aircraft availability rate of 90% Mission Capable for completion of two 4-hour missions per aircraft per day under VMC and sustainment at an 80% Fully Mission Capable rate for completion of a 4-hour mission under IMC. The SEEKER is certificated up to and including FAR 23 Amdt 34 in the Normal category.
Designed to operate on widely available ‘Super-Unleaded’ petrol (MOGAS 80-87), the SEEKER is an affordable and highly appropriate solution into a market for which there is no credible competition. In June 2004, the SEEKER was selected by the Coalition Provisional Authority for operations with the Iraqi Air Force for border patrol, infrastructure and security missions. Two units were delivered with advanced camera systems in August 2004.
CONTRACTOR LOGISTIC SUPPORT
Seabird currently offers full maintenance, repair, overhaul and logistic support facilities for the SEEKER aircraft to enable the desired mission tempo, including the supply of engines, main assemblies, spares, and contracted support for depot level servicing and overhaul by Seabird personnel at our facilities in Jordan. The support offered can be tailored to match the Mission Requirements, Concept of Operations and Maintenance Philosophy adopted by the User. This service is available on call for 24 hours per day, 365 days per year operations. Seabird is working with the JCAA to achieve accreditation as an MRO Facility. Seabird will provide a ‘One Stop Shop’, working with the Customer to ensure maximum cost-effectiveness and value for money. ‘One focus, one point of contact and accountability’.
DISTRIBUTORS, RESELLERS AND AGENTS.
We have formed strategic partnering agreements with a number of entities for flight training, maintenance and support services, as well as for the manufacture of components. The new digital design environment makes it possible to form strategic alliances that are widely dispersed, both regionally and globally, and our long term strategy will advance this concept.
We have secured representation and distribution agreements for the marketing, supply and support of our SEEKER aircraft into the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and China. During 2005 it is planned to form strategic alliances with surveillance equipment and power-plant manufacturers, as well as expand on our network of representatives and distributors.
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