Lockheed Martin Plans Civil/Military Sales Campaign For Polish M28 Light Airlifter

Lockheed Martin has revealed a sales plan for the PZL Mielec M28 'Bryza' short take-off and landing (STOL) light airlifter.

The airlifter obtained the transport aircraft with the acquisition of the Polish manufacturer's Sikorsky parent company in November 2015.

“Lockheed Martin sees a strong future for the twin-turboprop with both civil and military operators in those parts of the word that are lacking established infrastructure and prepared runways.” Ingmar Wyczalek, Regional Sales Manager North and South America said.

There are currently about 100 M28s being flown all over the world, mostly with militaries where it has a long history, the Regional Sales Manager said Speaking to reporters at PZL Mielec's production facility in southern Poland on 21 February, .

 “It is our strategic aim now to penetrate the civil market in places such as North and Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region," Wyczalek said.

He added that the company has identified a global potential civil and military market for this class of aircraft of 150 per year, of which Lockheed Martin hopes to secure about 10 to 15 with the M28.

A westernised development of the Soviet-built Antonov An-28 'Cash' light transport aircraft, the M28 made its maiden flight in 1993. When the US helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky acquired PZL Mielec in 2007, the fixed-wing M28 largely fell by the wayside as efforts were focused instead on the rotary-wing S-70i Black Hawk.

The arrival of Lockheed Martin in 2015, with its C-130 Hercules heritage, has seen a renewed and reinvigorated effort to market and sell the M28.

This renewed effort will formally kick-off in March with a two-month tour of the Caribbean and Latin American regions that will take in 13 cities across seven countries.

The tour, which was first announced on 12 January, will see the M28 demonstrated in Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Columbia, Panama, and Mexico.