UTC Aerospace Systems will deliver Cloud Cap Technology TASE500 imaging systems to Vulcanair Aircraft in support of maritime search and rescue efforts operated by the Chilean Navy. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp.

The TASE500 imaging system will be installed on Vulcanair's P68 Observer 2 aircraft, a twin–engine airplane designed for maritime observation and patrol. The TASE500 payload provides the first all-HD imaging solution giving operators improved situational awareness, an all-digital imaging chain for maximized processing capability and an optimized lens design for enhanced object recognition. All TASE cameras offer a continuous zoom functionality which provides optimal field of view across all zoom levels.

"The addition of the Cloud Cap Technology TASE500 Imaging System to the P68 Observer 2 will allow us to provide a turnkey, high performance, cost efficient solution to the search and rescue market," said Remo De Feo, CEO of Italy's Vulcanair Aircraft. "The all HD imaging system of the TASE500 was a critical requirement in providing the Chilean Navy with superior nighttime imaging as well as long range daylight surveillance."

"We are proud to be selected by Vulcanair Aircraft, a respected name in aviation, to provide the Chilean Navy with an optical imaging solution that meets the demands of their extensive maritime operations," said John Trezza, vice president, Force Protection, UTC Aerospace Systems. "The TASE500's optimized lens design will enable search and rescue operators to more easily identify objects at sea and along the coastline."

The Chilean Navy provides security for the country's more than 4,300 kilometers of Pacific coastline, as well as the extensive coastline of the Chilean Antarctic Territory, which extends to the South Pole. This requires a long endurance aircraft equipped with high performance optics to aid in the detection of distressed vessels and to provide timely and efficient assistance throughout the broad Chilean maritime region.