ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s procurement agency has released a Request for Information (RfI) with an eye toward purchasing a coast guard aircraft.

The Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) said that the aircraft would be operated by the Turkish Coast Guard.

SSM described the planned missions of the aircraft as controlling naval sovereign zones in the Mediterranean, performing reconnaissance flights to help prevent illegal immigration on the Aegean Sea, search and rescue operations, fighting illegal activity along the Turkish coastline and performing coastal reconnaissance.

The competition will be open to both local and foreign contenders.