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

Lockheed, Pilatus, Hawker Pacific bid for RAAF basic trainer deal

Lockheed Martin, Pilatus and Hawker Pacific have formally entered the competition for Canberra’s Air 5428 pilot training system requirement.
The offer will be based on the three companies’ existing training of Singapore Air Force pilots under the Basic Wings programme in Perth, which uses the Pilatus PC-21 basic trainer aircraft.
The trio will promote their offering as “Team 21”. They are the second group of companies to formally enter bidding. In September, BAE Systems announced that it would enter the competition with CAE and Beechcraft, with an offering based on the Beechcraft T-6C Texan II.
Since 1992, BAE has operated the Australian Defence Force's Basic Flight Training School (BFTS) at Tamworth, which provides ab intio training and pilot screening for all ADF pilots using a fleet of Pacific Aerospace CT-4B piston trainers.
Boeing, Thales and Raytheon are also expected to announce bids.
Currently, pilots who graduate from the BFTS are then posted to the Royal Australian Air Force's No 2 Flight Training School at RAAF Pearce in Western Australia for advanced training on the Pilatus PC-9/A, after which they are posted to an operational squadron.
Under Air 5428, the respective training aircraft would be replaced by a new integrated training system run by the successful contractor. Australia would also likely acquire the same aircraft for use with the RAAF's Aircraft Research and Development Unit and Forward Air Control Development Unit.
flightglobal

Hawker lanza versión mas potente del AT-6/Hawker Beechcraft adds power to armed AT-6

Hawker Beechcraft ha mostrado una versión mas potente de su turbohélice AT-6, con vistas a la competición de la Fuerza Aérea para su futuro avión de ataque ligero y reconocimiento armado(LAAR) .
El AT-6 está equipado con un motor Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68D que incrementa 1600 caballos su potencia y aviónica modernizada para misiones de apoyo cercano. El AT-6 puede portar misiles, bombas, misiles, sensores para obtención de información, identificador de blancos y equipos para armas guiado de armamento. Sin embargo Hawker Beechcraft ha declarado que a pesar de las mejoras, el nuevo avión coincide en un 95% con su entrenador T-6B en servicio con la USAF y la US Navy.
Los competidores potenciales del AT-6 para el concurso LAAR, son el Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano, que ya es operado por la US Navy para operaciones especiales, el Boeing OV-10X Bronco, una versión mejorada del avión "era Vietnam", y Alenia Aeronautica que desea ofrecer una versión armada del M-346 Master de entrenamiento avanzado.
El LAAR pretende cubrir la carencia en el inventario de la USAF de un avión optimizado para operaciones de combate no convencionales, como las realizadas en Afganistán.
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Hawker Beechcraft has demonstrated a more powerful version of its AT-6 turboprop, ahead of a US Air Force competition for a light attack and armed reconnaissance (LAAR) aircraft.

The second AT-6 production-representative test vehicle flew on 5 February and is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68D engine, increasing thrust to 1,600shp (1,190kW) from 1,100shp. The same aircraft also received a mission avionics upgrade based on the Fairchild A-10 close air support aircraft. The AT-6 can carry a variety of missiles, guns and bombs, plus sensors to gather information, identify targets and guide the weapons. Hawker Beechcraft claims the second test vehicle also includes structural improvements, but remains 95% common with the baseline T-6B trainer in service with the USAF and US Navy.
The AT-6 is among several potential bidders for the LAAR contract, a competition for which is expected to start next year. Embraer is preparing to offer its EMB-314 Super Tucano, which is operated by USN special operations.
Boeing has released a concept drawing of the OV-10X Bronco, an updated version of a Vietnam-era combat aircraft, while Alenia Aeronautica wants to offer an armed version of the M-346 Master advanced jet trainer.
The LAAR aircraft is expected to fill a potential niche in the USAF inventory for aircraft optimised for irregular warfare campaigns.