ATR-72 vs Fokker 50

ATR and Fokker entered the military turboprop market by converting civilian regional airliners into maritime patrol and utility platforms. The ATR-72 leverages an active production line of over 1,000 airframes to integrate modern sensor suites, whereas the Fokker 50 relies on a finite pool of 213 legacy airframes manufactured before the company's 1996 bankruptcy.

Development and Design

ATR engineered the ATR-72 by stretching the ATR-42, integrating carbon fiber for 30% of the wing weight to achieve a 20% mass reduction. The baseline airframe omits an auxiliary power unit, utilizing a "Hotel Mode" propeller brake on the right Pratt & Whitney PW127 engine to generate ground electrical power. Leonardo adapted this architecture into the ATR 72MP, installing the Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance (ATOS) system to manage AESA radar, EO/IR turrets, and ESM systems across up to four tactical workstations.

Fokker developed the Fokker 50 by heavily modifying the F27-500 airframe. The design integrated PW124/125B engines and six-bladed Dowty Rotol propellers, reducing fuel consumption by 30% compared to the F27. Military conversion required structural modifications; Fokker produced the stretched Fokker 60 variant with a reinforced floor and a right-side forward cargo door specifically for Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) paradrop and logistics requirements.

Specifications and Performances

The structural and performance metrics indicate different operational optimizations:

• The ATR-72 operates with a 22,500 kg maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) and a 12,950 kg empty weight, yielding a 9,550 kg capacity for fuel, payload, and mission systems.
• The Fokker 50 has a lighter MTOW of 20,820 kg and a 12,250 kg empty weight, resulting in an 8,570 kg useful load capacity.
• The Fokker 50 provides a 1,700 km range compared to the ATR-72's 1,404 km limit.
• The ATR-72 reaches a maximum speed of 565 km/h, 39 km/h faster than the Fokker 50, driven by the higher 2,051 kW output of its PW127F engines versus the 1,864 kW PW125B engines on the Fokker.

The Fokker's larger 70.0 m² wing area (versus the ATR's 61.0 m²) results in lower wing loading, providing better low-speed stability for low-altitude maritime search patterns.

Deployment and usage

The ATR-72 operates as a primary Tier-2 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). Italy fields the P-72A for C4ISR and border surveillance, while the Turkish Navy deploys the TMPA variant equipped for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) with lightweight torpedoes. It lost the German Navy P-3 replacement competition to the larger, jet-powered P-8A Poseidon, which possesses greater transit speeds and payload capacity.

The Fokker 50/60 series saw limited military adoption. The RNLAF operated Fokker 60s for utility transport before converting two into MPAs and selling them to the Peruvian Naval Aviation. The Republic of Singapore Air Force operates Fokker 50 MPAs modified to carry AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, providing standoff anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capability.

Conclusion

The ATR-72 holds a definitive edge in modern ASW and C4ISR operations. Its active production line guarantees parts availability, and the ATOS integration provides a modern sensor baseline optimized for current naval doctrine. The Fokker 50 is obsolete for modern procurement. While its integration of the AGM-84 Harpoon and longer range give it lethality in anti-surface profiles, the exhausted airframe lifespan and lack of OEM support restrict it to secondary operators managing constrained defense budgets.