AFM signs contract for new US-built maritime patrol aircraft

The Armed Forces of Malta have signed a contract for a new King Air maritime patrol aircraft that will be used for surveillance, border control and search-and-rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, the US embassy in Malta said.

In a Facebook post, the embassy said the aircraft is built on a Beechcraft King Air airframe manufactured in Wichita, Kansas, and will be modified for military use and delivered by German company Aerodata AG.

According to the embassy, the acquisition reflects “practical cooperation between America and Malta” aimed at strengthening security in the region. The aircraft is expected to enhance the Armed Forces of Malta’s operational capabilities at sea, particularly in monitoring Malta’s vast search-and-rescue zone and maritime borders.

The embassy described the project as a combination of American aerospace expertise and Maltese operational capacity, underlining continued defence collaboration between the two countries.