The Pilatus PC-7 is a single-engine, turboprop-powered basic/primary military training aircraft. A Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25A, flat-rated to 550 shp, powers the PC-7, while the 700-shp PT6A-25C engine is installed on the PC-7 Mk II. Pilatus flew the first PC-7, a PC-3 piston-powered aircraft retrofitted with a PT6A-20 engine, in April 1966. However, lack of market interest resulted in cancellation of the program near the end of 1968. A second converted P-3 was flown in May 1975, with a fully aerobatic PT6A-25 for power.
The Mitsubishi F-2 is a single- and twin-seat air-combat fighter/interceptor aircraft based on the Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 40. The first F-2 prototype flew in October 1995, with production deliveries following in September 2000. The aircraft is powered by a single 29,500-lb.-thrust GE F110-GE-129 turbofan engine, license-produced by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries. Mitsubishi produced 98 F-2 aircraft, including four flying prototypes. F-2 production ended in 2011.
The Rooivalk is a twin-engine, tandem-seat attack helicopter initially developed with assistance by the South African Air Force (SAAF). Denel Aircraft continued subsequent development with in-house funds. Two prototype/demonstrator aircraft, one pre-production aircraft and 12 production-standard aircraft (for the SAAF) were produced through 2004. Production Rooivalks are powered by two Turbomeca Makila 1K2 turboshaft engines rated 1,843 shp each. Armament includes a Kentron GA-1 20-mm cannon mounted in a steerable chin turret.
The U-2 is a single-engine, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Development began in 1954, and a prototype flew the following year. Lockheed built 49 aircraft in the initial configuration, but as the aircraft were airframe-limited, the manufacturer developed the larger U-2R version, which flew in 1967. The USAF and CIA each received six R models and in 1979, the line was reopened and an additional 37 were built. Twenty-five were designated TR-1A, a U-2R platform fitted with the Asars-2 battlefield radar.
The Harrier II is a single- or two-seat, single-engine ground-attack aircraft now out of production. Through 1998, Boeing/McDonnell Douglas and BAE built 428 Harrier II V/STOL aircraft. AV-8B Harrier IIs are powered by either a 21,450-lb.-thrust Rolls-Royce Pegasus 11-21 (U.S.-designated F402-RR-406A) vectored thrust turbofan or a 23,800-lb.-thrust Pegasus 11-61 (U.S.-designated F402-RR-408). British Royal Air Force GR7 and GR9 models were powered by a Pegasus Mk 105 vectored thrust turbofan (21,500 lb. thrust); RAF GR7As and GR9As were equipped with the Pegasus Mk 107.
The C-27J is a short-/medium-range, high-wing, twin-turboprop-powered STOL transport developed as a joint venture of Alenia and Lockheed Martin. The prototype C-27J, which first flew in 1999, was a modified Alenia G.222 with an upgraded cockpit and two 4,640-shp Rolls-Royce AE 2100-D2 engines. In a passenger transport role, the C-27J can carry 46 paratroopers, 60 infantry or up to 36 stretchers and six medical attendants. In a utility role, the C-27J allows for a payload of up to 24,353 lb. In 2007, the aircraft was chosen for the U.S.
If the nuclear-capable Agni V mission has signaled the arrival of India as a missile power, the world's largest democracy is hoping its next multiple-warhead variant will upgrade the country's strategic posture from dissuasion to credible deterrence against China. Two successful tests of its 5,000-km (3,106-mi.)-range Agni-V missile have paved the way for India to venture into a longer-range intercontinental nuclear-capable ballistic missile program, which will probably be officially called Agni VI.
The F/A-18 is a twin-engine, single- and twin-seat, land- and sea-based, high-performance multirole fighter/attack aircraft. F/A-18A/B/C/D models were powered by two GE F404-GE-400/402 turbofans (approximately 16,000-17,600 lb. thrust each), while the F/A-18E/F has two GE F414-GE-400 turbofans (about 22,000 lb. thrust each). First flight of an F/A-18 prototype occurred in 1978. The current F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which first flew in September 1995, features a larger fuselage, more-powerful engines and additional hardpoints compared to the earlier models.
The Atlantique 2 (ATL2), an updated version of the Breguet Atlantique, is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft powered by two Rolls-Royce Tyne RTy.20 Mk 21 turboprop engines. It has an endurance of 18 hr., and can carry torpedoes, depth charges, mines, antiship missiles and bombs. Atlantique 2 deliveries began in 1989, with 28 aircraft built. In October 2013, the French defense ministry awarded Dassault Aviation and Thales a contract to upgrade the mission systems on the French navy's fleet of 15 ATL2s.
The Kawasaki OH-1 is a tandem-seat, twin-engine, armed-scout helicopter developed for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The aircraft is powered by a pair of Mitsubishi TS1-M-10 turboshaft engines, rated at approximately 885 shp each. An OH-1 prototype first flew in August 1996. Kawasaki built 38 OH-1s through 2012. No additional production is anticipated.
The JVX program, long since redesignated the V-22 Osprey, began in fiscal 1982, but this aircraft is really an outgrowth of Bell tiltrotor efforts dating from the late 1940s. The V-22 first flew in 1989. The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce AE 1107C turboshaft engines housed in wingtip-mounted nacelles that can rotate from full vertical for heliborne operation to full horizontal for forward, wingborne flight. It can fly at speeds up to 280 kt., and with 24 combat-equipped troops, has a range of about 300 nm. The MV-22 version is currently in production for the U.S.
The Eurocopter Tiger is a tandem-seat antitank/fire-support helicopter designed for all-weather, day/night antitank, ground-support, anti-helicopter and armed-escort missions. Power is supplied by two MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390-2C turboshaft engines rated 1,285 shp each at takeoff, or the MTR390-E (1,464 shp).
The F-CK-1 (also called the Indigenous Defense Fighter) is a light fighter aircraft developed by Taiwan state-owned aerospace company AIDC in the 1980s. Powered by two Honeywell/ITEC F125-GA-100 turbofan engines, the aircraft entered service in 1994. Some 134 had been completed when production stopped in 1999.
The AH-1 series is a family of single- and twin-engine, single-main-rotor attack helicopters. Bell has delivered more than 2,300 AH-1s, with Fuji producing about 90 AH-1s under license. The AH-1Z, the latest iteration in the series, is an improved version of the earlier AH-1W. Powered by two GE T700-GE-401 turboshaft engines rated 1,723 shp each, the AH-1Z features a four-blade composite main rotor and an uprated transmission. The U.S. Marine Corps plans to take delivery of 189 AH-1Zs, including 152 new-build helicopters and 37 converted AH-1Ws.
The Fabrica Argentina de Aviones SA (FAdeA) AT-63 is an updated version of the tandem-seat IA 63 Pampa trainer/light-attack aircraft. First flight of the IA 63 occurred in 1984, followed by initial deliveries in 1988. It was powered by a single 3,500-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2-2N turbofan engine. Twenty-two IA 63 aircraft were produced, including three flying prototypes. The new AT-63 has a 3,500-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2C turbofan engine, five weapons stations and an Elbit avionics suite. Future AT-63s will be built with 4,000-lb.-thrust TFE731-40 engines.
The M28 is a twin-turboprop, utility/transport aircraft. Looking to break into new markets, PZL Mielec redesigned the Antonov An-28 to incorporate more extensive use of Western components, including two 1,100-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B engines. The new model, dubbed the M28, made its first flight in 1993. The purchase of PZL Mielec by U.S. manufacturer Sikorsky in 2007 brought a new lease on life to the M28, ensuring its continued production.
The B-1B is a four-engine strategic bomber produced by Rockwell International and operated by the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft evolved from a series of studies begun in 1962. Following the launch of the program in 1969, the initial prototype made its first flight in 1974. The B-1B is powered by four GE F101-GE-102 turbofan engines rated at more than 30,000 lb. thrust each. In addition to four B-1A prototypes, a total of 100 B-1Bs were built by the time production ended in 1988. Upgrades to the systems and capabilities have been ongoing since the aircraft's introduction.
Last week's successful flight test of the tri-national Medium-Extended Air Defense System (Meads) has officials at Raytheon worried that their mainstay PAC-3 missile and air-defense system has strong competition. Meads achieved two kills Nov. 6—one against a QF-4 emulating a cruise missile and another against a Lance tactical-ballistic-missile target. The system acquired, tracked and destroyed two targets using all-Meads components, says Marty Coyne, Lockheed Martin's lead business development official for Meads.
The Typhoon is a delta-wing, single- and two-seat, supersonic, air-superiority combat fighter produced by the Eurofighter consortium of Alenia, BAE Systems and EADS, and sponsored by the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. The aircraft is powered by two Eurojet EJ200 axial-flow, low-bypass, augmented turbofans rated approximately 20,250 lb. thrust each with reheat. The initial prototype flew in 1994, with deliveries commencing in 2002. Current Eurofighter operators are Austria, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain and the U.K.
The Eurocopter EC120 is a single-turbine helicopter primarily used in the military arena for flight training. Power is supplied by a Turbomeca Arrius 2F turboshaft engine rated 504 shp. Through 2012, approximately 710 civil/military EC 120s were produced, with another 12 for military applications expected through 2022.
The Northrop F-5 Tiger is a supersonic twin-engine, one- or two-seat light fighter. The T-38 is a two-seat trainer. The aircraft are powered by a GE J85-GE-21B turbojet, producing 5,000 lb. thrust. Northrop began designing the F-5 in 1955 for a U.S. government study on Asian and European high-performance fighter needs. Northrop pursued the effort, the N-156C concept, as a private venture. In 1956, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy showed interest in a trainer derivative, the T-38, developed in parallel with the N-156C. The prototype N-156C first flew on July 30, 1959.
The Eurocopter BO 105 is a 5-7-seat, twin-turboshaft-engine, single-main-rotor utility helicopter used for both military and commercial roles. BO 105CB/CBS models are powered by two Rolls-Royce 250-C20B turboshaft engines rated 420 shp each for takeoff, while the BO 105LS features a pair of Rolls-Royce 250-C28C turboshafts rated at 500 shp each for takeoff. Approximately 1,400 BO 105s, including 680 military BO 105s, were built through 2005. Eurocopter's newer and more-advanced EC135/635 light twin has replaced the BO 105.
The Tucano series is a family of trainer and light-attack aircraft; first flight occurred in 1980. The standard EMB-312 Tucano is powered by a single 750-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C turboprop engine, while the Shorts-built S312 (T1) variant is powered by an uprated 1,100-shp AlliedSignal TPE331-12B-701A turboprop. These original Tucano models are no longer in production.
