General Atomics AeroTec Systems (GA-ATS) and the Bangladesh Navy have signed a new maintenance contract for two Do228 aircraft, extending a partnership that dates back more than a decade.
The agreement covers heavy maintenance, pilot training, and modernization work on the two aircraft delivered in 2013. Both platforms will undergo a 72-month inspection and a 12-year structural inspection at GA-ATS’s facility in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
As part of the upgrade, one of the aircraft will be fitted with a Hensoldt surveillance radar system, aimed at enhancing maritime patrol and reconnaissance capabilities.
The Bangladesh Navy currently operates four Do228 aircraft. The first pair entered service in 2013 and has since been used for maritime surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and paratrooper deployment. Two additional aircraft were delivered in 2021 and 2022, following GA-ATS’s acquisition of the Do228 program and production site.
The contract also includes a training program for Bangladesh Navy personnel. Pilot instruction will take place on the Do228 full-flight simulator at GA-ATS’s training center in Germany, while operators will receive instruction on the new radar system.