Potential contenders for Iraqi Air Force COIN aircraft.
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AT-6B Texan
KO-1 Woong Bee
EMB-314 Super Tucano
Air Truck AT-802U
Posted on 12/17/2009 11:16:37 PM PST by myknowledge
In counter-insurgency fights, slower aircraft are often better than front-line jet fighters. In April 2007, Flight International reported that the USAF’s Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) had issued a solicitation on behalf of the Iraqi Air Force [IqAF] to buy at least 8 counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft, with a dual role as intermediate to advanced single-engine turboprop trainers. The solicitation required a single-engine turboprop powered that is in “wide use,” powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 family engine, with an advanced suite of sensors and weapons including electro-optical sensors and guided weapons capability. Indeed, the solicitation went one step further, and narrowed the field to 4 candidates that can be difficult for a novice to tell apart.
The program’s planned timeline hit delays, and the training aircraft were technically split from the counter-insurgency buy. Formal requests have now been issued for up to 56 aircraft, however, as Iraq seeks a combination of trainer and armed COIN aircraft using different variants of the same plane. Manufacturing is underway, and Iraq has now received its first 4 aircraft, in an important ceremony whose components reach far beyond just 4 planes…
(Excerpt) Read more at defenseindustrydaily.com ...
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AT-6B Texan
KO-1 Woong Bee
EMB-314 Super Tucano
Air Truck AT-802U
My choice would be the Super Tucano. Already proven, fewer growing pains. Don’t think it has Beta, which is an drawback for operating off short fields. Plumbed for guns, wet wing stations for loiter time in a FAC(A) role, developed installations of multi-spectrum cameras.
Interesting mix of aircraft. From what I know of the designs (which admittedly, is not a whole heck of a lot), I’d lean towards the Super Tucano, were I the one buying. As a U.S. citizen, though, I wouldn’t mind at all if one of the U.S. firms won the contract.
It’s also interesting to note that all of the designs use one version or another of a Pratt & Whitney PT6 engine.
“The four aircraft are the first of (15) T-6A models that will be used as a stepping-stone for pilots before flying advanced multi-role fighters that the IqAF will use in the future to protect its airspace. This $210 million joint US-Iraq venture provides the aircraft to the IqAF, along with flight simulators and associated training. The first eight aircraft, purchased by the Government of Iraq, will all be at Tikrit by the end of January 2010. The last seven, purchased by the United States, are expected by the end of December 2010.”
Old part of the article from 2008.
Iraq already has FMS permissions for 20 T-6A and 36 AT-6B.
Only 15 T-6As have actually been ordered.
The reason this old article showed up again in the RSS feeds is because it was updated further down. Iraq just received the first 4 T-6As this week at Tikrit.
My only concern with the T-6A was that I had heard through the grapevine of possible structural issues with the wing stations on the T-6. Doesn’t mean that those weren’t addressed already. Good news for Beech, and a guaranteed parts pipeline for the forseeable future for those Iraqi aircraft.
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