While Cirrus Aircraft awaits certification of its Vision personal jet, another new frontier emerged on Monday when the Duluth company announced it received Federal Aviation Administration certification for a special missions aircraft.
The Cirrus Perception was described in a company news release as "an adaptable, cost-effective special mission platform tailored specifically for the Cirrus SR22 and SR22T aircraft models."
The new platform will allow for those existing single-engine models to be outfitted as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft - giving Cirrus entry into the public sectors of law enforcement, defense and more.
Already, the Minnesota State Patrol has purchased the first Perception aircraft, the news release said.
"Special mission operators are constantly looking for ways to increase their capabilities while reducing operational costs," said David Moser, vice president of fleet and special mission sales at Cirrus. "Cirrus Perception delivers on both fronts and sets the new global benchmark as the most capable, flexible and cost-effective ISR platform available today."
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The company, with its manufacturing and corporate headquarters based at Duluth International Airport, described in its news release a wide range of applications for the Perception, including "law enforcement operations, aerial surveying, mapping and photography, search and rescue missions, disaster management and support, border surveillance and more."
Operators will have the opportunity to tailor the aircraft to their needs, including the addition of infrared capabilities and multi-spectral imaging. A sensor-mounting system can accommodate a wide array of third-party sensor models and is designed to be modular, removable and reconfigurable. Cirrus has partnered with third-party companies to be able to "deliver comprehensive equipment and payload integrations services," the company news release said.
The aircraft will be able to be used on missions that previously required "large, multimillion dollar turbine aircraft or rotocraft in order to carry dated, heavier technology."
"Cirrus Perception is revolutionary in the special mission market," Moser said in the news release. "We're excited to see this new platform utilized across a variety of industries."
With FAA certification, the Perception is available now and will make its debut this week at the Airborne Law Enforcement Association Expo in Savannah, Ga.
