US cleared to complete T-6C sale to Argentina

A 30-day Congressional notification period has closed on a proposed sale of 24 Beechcraft T-6C Texan trainers to the Argentine air force, clearing the way for the US government and industry officials to complete negotiations on the estimated $300 million deal.
Coming only two months after the final delivery to the US Navy under the 20-year-old Joint Primary Aircraft Training Systems (JPATS) programme, the proposed T-6 sale to Buenos Aires offers a timely lifeline to the T-6C production line in Wichita, Kansas.
“We look forward to continuing our conversations with Argentina to offer the Beechcraft T-6C military trainer,” Beechcraft says.
By late June, Beechcraft had delivered more than 400 T-6 Texan IIs to the US Air Force and nearly 300 to the Navy, replacing an aging fleet of Cessna T-37s and Beechcraft T-34s. The company also has received a recent order from the UK Ministry of Defence to supply T-6 trainers for replacing Embraer Tucanos.
flightglobal

USAF student test pilots trial Textron’s Scorpion and AT-6, Before Fligth to Undisclosed South American Country

USAF student test pilots recently trialed Textron Scorpion jet and the Beechcraft AT-6 light attack turboprop, conducting 12 flights in the Scorpion and seven with the AT-6.
After each flight, Scorpion rapidly returned to the air, with an average aircraft turn time of 31 minutes, and a best turn time of 20 minutes. The AT-6 also turned in an excellent performance, with 100-percent aircraft availability and 100-percent mission accomplishment.
After the student’s visit, the Scorpion flew from Wichita to South America to demonstrate its capabilities to an undisclosed air force in that region.
The Scorpion will make its debut at the Paris Air Show next month. The aircraft will then go on a European tour, which includes a visit to the United Kingdom.
flightglobal

More T-6C trainers head for New Zealand

Beechcraft has transferred its second batch of two T-6C trainers to New Zealand.
Carrying the registrations NZ1404 and NZ1405, the turboprop-powered aircraft made stops in Canada, Greenland and Iceland, before passing through Glasgow, Scotland and making an overnight stop in Stansted, England on 23 September during the long range transfer. The pair follow an initial two trainers which completed the ferry flight to Ohakea air base in late August.
Ordered in January 2014 under an 11-aircraft deal, New Zealand’s T-6Cs are due to enter full training use in 2016.
The remaining seven aircraft contained within the order will be delivered in 2015, with the type to be flown by the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s 14 Sqn.
flightglobal

Mexican Navy takes delivery of first of four King Air 350ER aircraft

Beechcraft , at the Farnborough International Airshow that it has delivered the first of four Beechcraft King Air 350ER aircraft ordered by the Mexican Navy.
beechcraft

First Royal New Zealand Air Force Beechcraft T-6C Takes Flight

The first RNZAF Beechcraft T-6C advanced trainer has made its first flight from Beechcraft’s Wichita facility in Kansas on June 10.
The aircraft – NZ1401 – made the flight with a Beechcraft company crew at the controls and lasted two hours, and functionality checks such as flight performance and handling characteristics were conducted. It will carry the US civil registration of N2824B while the initial flight test program is completed.
New Zealand ordered 11 T-6Cs in January to replace CT-4E trainers in the basic course, and elements of the advanced course currently conducted by the King Air. The first six RNZAF Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs) are due to commence their conversion to the T-6C in August, and the first four aircraft will be delivered by the end of this year.
The aircraft will be based at Ohakea, and will commence pilot training in mid-2015 by which time all 11 aircraft will have been delivered.
defense-studies

USAF assisting search for missing girls in Nigeria

The Air Force is flying manned MC-12W Liberty and unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance sorties over Nigeria to assist in locating more than 200 girls kidnapped by militants.
The Nigerian government requested the flights.
On April 15, the militant group Boko Haram kidnapped the girls from their school. The group said it is open to exchanging the students for the release of terrorists imprisoned in Nigeria.
The Defense Department has sent more than 10 personnel to the country to help with the search. The troops are trained in intelligence, communications and logistics.
The Defense Department would not release the number of sorties or the specific origin of the flights “due to operational security concerns.
The department is not sharing the intelligence directly with the Nigerian government.
The MC-12W Liberty manned aircraft is a modified Hawker Beechcraft Super King Air 350 outfitted with sensors and cameras. The aircraft has seen extensive use in Afghanistan. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is the Air Force’s largest remotely piloted aircraft, and has been deployed to provide high-altitude surveillance. Global Hawks have deployed to the Middle East and flown “treaty verification” missions in the Middle East.
airforcetimes

Iraq to buy 24 AT-6C Texan II

The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of 24 AT-6C Texan II Aircraft, 2 spare PT-6A-68 Turboprop engines, 2 spare ALE-47 Counter-Measure Dispensing Systems and/or 2 spare AAR-47 Missile Launch Detection Systems, non-SAASM global positioning systems with CMA-4124, spare and repair parts, maintenance, support equipment, tanker support, ferry services, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.
The principal contractors will be Beechcraft and Lockheed Martin.
The proposed sale will involve multiple trips to Iraq involving many U.S. government and contractor representatives over a period of 15 years for program management, program and technical reviews, training, maintenance support, and site surveys.
dsca

Mexican navy orders two Beechcraft T-6 trainers

Mexico is expanding its fleet of Beechcraft T-6C Texan trainers with a new order for two aircraft by the nation's navy.
The aircraft, designated T-6C+ models, will be delivered this summer.
Beechcraft, is also working on a contract to provide two years of parts support, pilot and mechanic training and field support to the Mexican navy.
The Mexican air force already has six T-6s, and has placed an order for an additional six aircraft.
The announcement comes two months after news broke that New Zealand will buy 11 T-6Cs.
flightglobal

Iraq requests Apache helicopter purchase

Iraq’s continuing military transformation could be advanced further, through a potentially $4.8 billion deal for 24 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.
“This proposed sale supports the strategic interests of the United States by providing Iraq with a critical capability to protect itself from terrorist and conventional threats, to enhance the protection of key oil infrastructure and platforms, and to reinforce Iraqi sovereignty,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency says. Its message to Congress was disclosed in a notification published on 27 January.
Expected roles for an Iraqi Apache fleet would include flying close-air support and armed reconnaissance and anti-tank warfare missions. Baghdad’s request includes 12 Northrop Grumman APG-78 Longbow fire control radars and 480 Lockheed Martin AGM-114R Hellfire air-to-surface missiles.
An Apache acquisition would come on top of the Iraqi army’s previous purchase of the Mil Mi-28 from Russia. Baghdad has signed a firm order for 12 of the type, and has previously shown interest in acquiring a further 28.
Iraq’s defence spending in the post-Saddam Hussein era has included numerous foreign military sales deals with the USA. These have included orders for Lockheed-built F-16C/D and IQ-model fighters and C-130J tactical transports, Beechcraft King Air 350 transport and reconnaissance aircraft and T-6A trainers, plus Cessna 208s in utility, reconnaissance and light-attack configurations.
flightglobal

RNZAF Orders Beechcraft T-6C to Replace King Air

On January 24,New Zealand Secretary of Defence and President of Beechcraft signed a contract to replace the existing Beech King Air aircraft with the T-6 trainer aircraft.
The first two new T-6 trainer aircraft are due to arrive in New Zealand later this year.
defense-studies

Turkey launches new bid for light trainer aircraft

Turkey has issued a Request for Proposals (RfP) for the contract that foresees the off-the-shelf purchase of a small fleet of trainers to replace the fleet of ageing SF 260s used in the Turkish Air Force for preliminary training.
Turkey still operates with nearly 40 SF 260s assembled by TAI in the early 1990s. For preliminary training purposes the Air Force operates Cessna 172s.
Potential bidders are the U.S. Beechcraft and Cirrus, Austria’s Diamond, Germany’s Grobe, Czech Zlin and Italy’s Aermacchi.
Meanwhile, Turkey has silently phased out a fleet of 48 F-5 lead-in trainer aircrafts, which Israel’s Elbit upgraded and delivered in the early 2000s.TAI is upgrading nearly 60 T-38 basic trainers to replace the F-5s and the older T-38s.
The Defense Industry Executive Committee, the ultimate decision-maker in defense procurement, decided Sept. 26 to make an order for the serial production of the Hürkuş, Turkey’s first indigenous basic trainer aircraft.
Turkey’s first indigenous basic trainer aircraft has been approved for flight testing, with the maiden flight planned within the next year.
The Hürkuş, also developed by TAI, has been undergoing tests for runway-holding, steering and braking time limits.
TAI is manufacturing four prototypes of the Hürkuş for a round of tests. The first prototype successfully went through engine tests in February, the second is being tested for static durability and cabin pressure, the third is being assembled, and the fourth will be tested for metal fatigue.
The two-seat Hürkuş will have a 35-year service life, or 10,500 flight hours. The turboprop aircraft has a 1,600-horsepower engine that can fly at an altitude of 10,577 meters at a maximum speed of 574 kilometers per hour.
The Hürkuş will come in four variants:
Hürkuş-A: A basic version that has been certified with EASA, according to CS-23 requirements and is intended for the civilian market.
Hürkuş-B: An advanced version with integrated avionics, including a mission computer and cockpit avionics layout similar to F-16 and F-35 fighters. The Turkish Army is considering an initial order of 15 aircrafts.
Hürkuş-C: An armed version for close-air support, which will have a maximum weapons load of 3,300 pounds. The Turkish Army has expressed interest in the Hürkuş-C to provide support for its attack helicopters.
The Coast Guard version: TAI plans to offer another version of the Hürkuş to support the Turkish Coast Guard’s maritime patrol activities. The aircraft’s back seat would be occupied by an operator for a forward-looking infrared sensor.
hurriyetdailynews

Lockheed Martin, Pilatus Team For Australian Trainer Bid

A second team has revealed its intentions to bid for the Australian Defence Force’s fixed-wing Pilot Training System contest, along with the Oct. 3 announcement that Lockheed Martin and Pilatus will join forces to exclusively offer the PC-21 platform.
BAE Systems, CAE and Beechcraft announced in September its intention to enter the Beechcraft T-6C Texan II for the competition.
The deal signed between Lockheed Martin and the Swiss manufacturer is an exclusive agreement regarding the PC-21, meaning no other competitor can select the platform.
A Request for Tender for AIR 5428 was released to industry Aug.t 2 and will close in February.
defensenews

BAE Systems to offer T-6C to Australia

BAE Systems announced on Sept. 11 that it has teamed with Beechcraft and CAE to bid for the Australian Defence Force’s fixed-wing pilot training system with the Beechcraft’s T-6C Texan II.
BAE Systems has provided services to Australia’s forces for flight screening and basic flying training since 1992.
The company is also teamed with Beechcraft in the US to support T-6-based pilot training for the US Navy.
The Australian pilot training system competition, known as Project AIR 5428, has been underway since 2005, but a formal request for tender was released in August.
The BAE Systems/Beechcraft/CAE team is the first to break cover in the current incarnation of Air 5428.
Boeing Defence Australia is also interested in the competition.
The Pilatus PC-21 is the main competitor to the T-6C, but the Swiss company is yet to reveal its plans for the pilot training system.
AIR 5428 will replace the separate fixed-wing basic and advanced flying training programs with a single system that will take a candidate from flight screening to wings and will make significant use of simulation and other synthetic training aids.
The tender is due to close in February and the successful system will graduate its first students in early 2017.
defensenews

La Fuerza Aérea Venezolana incorpora un avión Beechcraft King Air 200

La Fuerza Aérea Venezolana adquirió, un avión de transporte ligero Beechcraft King Air 200. A la aeronave se le asignó la matrícula 1112 y fue incorporada al Grupo Aéreo de Transporte Administrativo Nº 5. El avión puede aterrizar en pistas no preparadas.
El Grupo 5, tiene su sede en la base aérea Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda, Caracas. Agrupa a dos escuadrones de vuelo y en su inventario incluye aviones Cessna Cittation
500 Citation I, 550 Citation II y 750 Citation X, así como, Beechcraft King Air 200 y King Air 350.
infodefensa

La Fuerza Aérea Boliviana adquirirá aviones de transporte Falcon 50EX y King Air 250/350

La Fuerza Aérea Boliviana adquirirá un avión de transporte Dassault Falcón 50 EX y dos Beechcraft King Air modelos 250 y 350 y un King Air 200 para la Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil.
El Ministerio de Defensa de Bolivia, informó que la compra de dos King Air y un Falcón 50EX para la FAB cumplen el objetivo de garantizar la seguridad de las operaciones aéreas en Bolivia, parte de cuya flota se encuentra obsoleta.
infodefensa

Another Version of the Italian trainer S-211

The Italian ministry of defense and Alenia Aermacchi have agreed to jointly define the operational requirements for a version of the jet-powered basic trainer aimed at pilfering market share from turboprop models such as the Beechcraft T-6, Pilatus PC-21 and Embraer’s A-29 Super Tucano.
The aircraft called the M-345 High Efficiency Trainer is the latest attempt by Alenia to find a market for its legacy, unsold M-211 single-engine jet trainer, which was derived from the decades-old SIAI-Marchetti S.211.
Amy Butler-aviationweek

Beechcraft says it has a launch customer for its AT-6 light attack aircraft

Beechcraft says it has a launch customer for its AT-6 light attack aircraft, and could announce an order for 24 examples of the type before the end of 2013.
The company has held "serious discussions" for 24 aircraft anddeclined to identify the customer, however, but says the company has seen interest in the type from countries in the Middle East, Latin America, southwest Asia and southeast Asia.
The company says a good deal of the interest has come from international operators of the T-6 trainer, upon which the AT-6 is based. The T-6 is also used by the US Air Force and the US Navy. The US Army also recently took delivery of two T-6s as part of a four aircraft order for the type.
flightglobal

Boeing EMARSS makes first flight

A U.S. Army and Boeing team completed the first flight of the first of four Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) Engineering, Manufacturing and Development aircraft on May 22. The aircraft was in the air for more than four hours and completed all first-flight test objectives, including evaluation of aerodynamic handling qualities, aircraft systems performance, and autopilot functions.
The flight took place at the Beechcraft facility in Wichita, Kan., following ground tests that included a high-speed taxi. This milestone is a key event on the path to Limited User Tests and the Milestone C low rate initial production decision. EMARSS will provide the Army the ability to detect, locate, classify, identify, and track surface targets in nearly all weather conditions, day or night, with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.

boeing.mediaroom