WASHINGTON \u2014 The Air Force plans to ask for additional funds for a light aircraft flight demonstration in its supplemental budget request, the service’s top general confirmed Thursday.
Goldfein pointed to Central Command\u2019s Combat Dragon II demonstration, which tested the suitability of two 10 OV-10G+ Bronco turboprop planes doing counter-insurgency missions in an uncontested environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We have all the operational data from that test” and the next step is seeing what industry can provide, he said. “I’m not interested in something that requires a lot of research and development here, I’m looking for something that I can get right now. Commercial off the shelf, low cost, that can operate in an uncontested environment [and] that can deliver the capabilities that we need.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on the Air Force\u2019s requirements, there could be a variety of aircraft in the running for OA-X. Perhaps the most high profile is Textron AirLand\u2019s Scorpion jet, a light fighter designed for affordability that hasn\u2019t yet been able to land a customer. The company projects unit costs for the Scorpion to come in at less than $20 million, with a flight hour clocking in at $3,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The contenders for T-X \u2014 particularly the designs already in production \u2014 could provide other options, especially if higher-end capability is needed. Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries have sold an armed version of the T-50 training jet, the FA-50, to South Korea and the Philippines. Leonardo plans to make an attack version of its M-346 trainer over the next two years, which will be called the M-346FT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Yet another alternative are turboprop planes like the Beechcraft AT-6 or Brazilian firm Embraer\u2019s A-29 Super Tucano, although the latter aircraft could face an uphill battle getting funded in the current administration, which favors domestic entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unmanned aircraft might also be considered as potential solutions, Goldfein added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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