Deutsche Aircraft Group is expanding its civilian-certified Dornier 328 platform ahead of the ILA Berlin aerospace trade show on June 10 to June 14, introducing an uncrewed aerial system designed to operate alongside the regional aircraft to extend operational range for European public-sector, border control, and surveillance missions.

The German aircraft manufacturer will market the integrated system alongside the standard D328 Multi Role (MR) turboprop to civil and governmental operators seeking mixed-fleet capabilities. In operational scenarios, the baseline D328MR serves as the primary crewed mission hardware, while the newly introduced uncrewed vehicle functions as a data-gathering complement to deliver wide-area maritime and border surveillance coverage. The combined platforms support tactical transport, medical evacuation, and automated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.

A operational front-line model of the aircraft, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) D328 operated in partnership with Dutch provider EASP Air NL (EASP Air), will be positioned on static display at the German trade event. The active production unit features an autonomous refuelling pod and a modular cabin setup, with in-service engineering, asset lifecycle, and supply chain logistics managed directly via the global customer support infrastructure of Deutsche Aircraft Group in Germany.

The expansion of the regional platform comes as European agencies seek local technical sovereignty and domestic manufacturing lines for mission-critical flight operations. The industrialisation, parts production, system capability integration, and commercial delivery phases of the uncrewed programme are being handled within Germany to maintain industrial knowledge and long-term lifecycle support pathways within the region.

“Europe needs sovereign, flexible and future‑proof aviation solutions for public‑sector operations,” Nico Neumann, chief executive officer of Deutsche Aircraft, said. “With the D328MR, complemented by uncrewed capabilities, we are offering a portfolio that allows authorities to select the right platforms for each mission – based on civilian certification, safety and long‑term operational reliability.”

Operational alignment of the mixed fleet is structured around combining the infrastructure of existing type-certified regional airframes with secondary autonomous assets to lower individual platform performance limits during prolonged tracking operations.

“Public‑sector operators increasingly rely on mixed fleets,” Markus Hahner, sales director special missions at Deutsche Aircraft, said. “The value lies not in individual platforms, but in how they are integrated into a single, consistent mission concept.”

Deutsche Aircraft Group will display the multi-role concepts, uncrewed software integration modules, and domestic asset support programmes at the German Aerospace Industries Association joint pavilion during the five-day aviation trade fair.