10 Contenders For Light-Attack/ISR Missions

Graham Warwick December 18, 2017

Textron AT-6

Credit: U.S. Defense Department

Still looking for a customer, Textron’s AT-6 Wolverine is an armed-ISR derivative of Beechcraft’s otherwise successful T-6 Texan II turboprop trainer, some 80 armed versions of which were supplied to Greece and Mexico. The aircraft has an uprated PT6A turboprop and Lockheed Martin’s mission computer from the A-10C, and it can carry an L3 Wescam MX-15HD EO/IR sensor on the fuselage centerline.

Engine: One 1,600-shp P&WC PT6A-68D

Weight: 10,000 lb.

Payload: 2,500 lb.

Speed: 278 kt.

Endurance: 5-6 hr.

Iomax Archangel

Credit: IOMAX USA

Iomax USA has unveiled the Block 2 version of its Archangel light-attack/ISR aircraft, equipped with a centerline L3 Wescam MX-25 EO/IR sensor in place of the Block 1’s smaller, podded MX-15. Archangel is based on the Thrush S2R-600 agricultural aircraft. The Block 2 is in production for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt has requested 12 aircraft via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program.

Engine: One 1,600-shp 

P&WC PT6A-67F

Weight: 14,800 lb.

Payload: 2,650 lb.

Speed: 180 kt

Endurance: 10.4 hr.

Calidus B-250

Credit: Calidus

​UAE-based construction company Calidus commissioned Brazil’s Novaer to develop the B-250 all-composite light-attack/trainer aircraft for manufacture in Abu Dhabi. The prototype flew in Brazil in July 2017. The B-250 was designed by Joseph Kovacs, who also designed the Embraer Tucano. The B-250 is slightly larger than the Super Tucano. The aircraft has an EO/IR sensor and Rockwell Collins Pro Line
Fusion glass cockpit.

Engine: One 1,600-shp 

P&WC PT6A-68

Payload: 3,960 lb.

Speed: 301 kt.

Endurance: 12 hr.

Paramount Mwari

Credit: Paramount Group

South Africa’s Paramount Group launched production of the AHRLAC low-cost manned ISR aircraft last February. The unarmed AHRLAC first flew in July 2014 and has a high-wing and pusher propeller to provide good all-round visibility for the tandem crew and nose-mounted sensors. The production version adds retractable loading gear, while the armed Mwari has a customized mission
system and hardpoints.

Engine: One 950-shp

P&WC PT6A-66B

Weight: 9,700 lb.

Payload: 1,760 lb.

Speed: 272 kt.

Endurance: 7.5 hr.

Orbital ATK AC-208II Eliminator

Credit: Orbital ATK

Eliminator is Orbital ATK’s name for the Block II version of its AC-208 Combat Caravan armed variant of Cessna’s Grand Caravan utility turboprop. The AC-208II can carry four Hellfire missiles, instead of two, and has a high-definition MX-15HD sensor and upgraded mission operator station. Iraq operates three AC-208s and Lebanon two. Afghanistan is due to receive the first AC-208IIs. 

Engine: One 675-shp

P&WC PT6A-114A

Weight: 8,000 lb.

Speed: 186 kt.

L3 Technologies AT-802L Longsword

Credit: Karandaev /istock

The Longsword is a light-attack/ISR version of the Air Tractor AT-802 agricultural aircraft and follows the armed AT-802U flown by the U.S. State Department, Jordan and Yemen. L3 is the prime for the AT-802L, which adds an MX-15HD electro - optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor for ISR, and is certifying an “OA-802” configuration to carry precision weapons. Jordan has four unarmed AT-802Ls, and Kenya has requested 12 armed aircraft.

Engine: One 1,600-shp 

P&WC PT6A-467F

Weight: 16,000 lb.

Payload: 4,000 lb.

Speed: 192 kt.

Endurance: 10 hr.

Embraer Super Tucano

Credit: U.S. Defense Department

The undisputed leader of the market so far is Embraer’s EMB-314 Super Tucano, aka the A-29, with 150 aircraft sold to 15 countries outside of home customer Brazil. An order for another six from the Philippines was announced in December. The fleet total includes 44 A-29s for Afghanistan, Lebanon and Nigeria, assembled by Embraer in the U.S. with Sierra Nevada Corp. as prime contractor.

Engine: One 1,600-shp

P&WC PT6A-68A/3

Weight: 11,900 lb.

Payload: 3,420 lb.

Speed: 320 kt.

Endurance: 2.6-7.1 hr.

Other Attack/ ISR Platforms LASA T-Bird

Credit: LASA

Bulgaria’s Light Armed Surveillance Aircraft Engineering (LASA) unveiled the T-Bird at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The aircraft is based on the General Electric H80-powered Thrush 510G agricultural aircraft and carries an EO/IR sensor and data-link pod developed by Airborne Technologies of Austria.

Other Attack/ ISR Platforms Textron Scorpion

Credit: Textron

Textron has brought jet power to the light-attack/ISR market with the Scorpion, powered by two Honeywell TFE731-40R turbofans. Weighing 22,000 lb., the aircraft can carry 3,000 lb. of sensors internally or 6,200 lb. of stores externally. Four company-funded prototypes have flown.

Other Attack/ ISR Platforms Orbital ATK AC-235

Credit: Orbital ATK

Orbital ATK co-developed the AC-235 light gunship with Jordan based on the Airbus CN-235 transport. Subsequently, they pursued a similar conversion to modify the larger Airbus C-295 into the AC-295 medium gunship. Orbital ATK also worked with Leonardo to develop the MC-27J Praetorian gunship version of the C-27J tactical transport for Italy.

The potential market for aircraft that can perform light-attack and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions affordably has attracted several contenders, some from unlikely places. The appeal is their purchase prices of around $10 million and operating costs of about $1,000 per hour. So far, the market has been slow to materialize. Much of the current excitement centers on the U.S. Air Force’s far-from-certain interest in a 300-aircraft fleet of light-attack/ISR aircraft for counterinsurgency operations. Without this infusion, the market is likely to continue to be focused in the Middle East.

Graham Warwick

Graham leads Aviation Week's coverage of technology, focusing on engineering and technology across the aerospace industry, with a special focus on identifying technologies of strategic importance to aviation, aerospace and defense.