The Bangladesh Army Aviation is purchasing the King Air 360ER special mission’s light aircraft for MEDEVAC and VVIP transport roles.
It has an outstanding requirement of three aircraft, of which one aircraft is being acquired in this running fiscal year at a cost of BDT 140 crore inclusive of spare parts and training.
The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft.
The King Air 360 and 360ER have a cockpit including an avionics upgrade, digital pressurisation and an autothrottle; and a modernised cabin featuring a 10% lower altitude pressure.
First introduced in August 2020 and with deliveries expected from the fourth quarter, the model has the same range and weight specifications. The 360 has a maximum range of 1,806 nmi (3,345 km) while the 360ER is said to have a maximum range of 2,539 nmi (4,702 km).
Both models were FAA type certified in October 2020, and European Aviation Safety Agency certified in September 2021.
The aircraft is manufactured in the United States by Textron Aviation, the parent company of Beechcraft and Cessna.
The Bangladesh Army Aviation group operates several Cessna 152 trainers and a Cessna 208 Grand Caravan.