US Customs & Border Protection awards $280m contract to Sierra Nevada

United States Customs and Border Protection has awarded a $280m firm-fixed-price contract to Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC).

The contract is intended to engineer and integrate 12 Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft.

SNC integrated mission systems (IMS) business area corporate vice president Tim Owings said: “We are honored that Customs and Border Protection has again chosen SNC to supply the next-generation Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft. This aircraft has proven to be uniquely suited to meet the challenges of protecting the United States border.”

A fully-certified, highly-missionised version of the Textron Aviation/ Beechcraft King Air 350CER, the Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft provides integrated multi-role special mission services to Customs and Border Protection.

This twin turboprop aircraft platform is capable of carrying out a wide range of missions and leverages over 10 years of King Air modification special mission heritage for the US Army, Customs and Border Protection and other customers.

SNC claimed that it has over 700,000 hours of operational experience in similar aircraft and incorporates this learning into the design. 

This is SNC’s second Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft contract.

Since 2009, SNC has provided 12 aircraft to Customs and Border Protection to replace aging twin engine C-12, PA-42, B-200 and C-404 patrol aircraft.

SNC’s IMS team will perform work under this contract from its facilities in Hagerstown, Maryland.