All USAF T-6As returned to flight

The Air Force's T-6 Texan II fleet was expected to resume flying following a five-day standdown.
Air Education and Training Command ordered all of its T-6s to stand down April 10 after indications of an engine oil line malfunction. The T-6A special program office conducted a fleetwide inspection, which was finalized April 14. All T-6As passed inspection and were cleared for flight.
As a result of the inspection, T-6A maintainers were given clearer specifications for the installation of lines and on allowable wear before replacement.
AETC flies 446 of the turboprop aircraft as entry-level pilot training. The aircraft are largely flown at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; and Laughlin Air Force Base and Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.
Student pilots, during the standdown, focused on academic work and simulator training. No more training delays are expected.
The Navy and Marine Corps also use the T-6 for entry-level pilot training. The Navy monitored the Air Force's inspection, but did not ground the plane.
airforcetimes

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

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

Siguen llegando T-6A Texan II a la Fuerza Aérea Iraquí/ More Texans in Iraq

El pasado 21 de Septiembre llegaron a la base aérea de Tikrit, en Irak, tres mas T-6A Texan II de entrenamiento para la Fuera Aérea de Irak, con lo que el número del tipo disponibles llega a once de un total previsto de quince.
Los primeros cuatro T-6A fueron recibidos en diciembre de 2009, seguidos de cuatro en febrero de 2010. La llegada de los últimos aviones, coincide con la primera ceremonia de graduación para ocho pilotos de avión y 12 de helicópteros en la academia de avión de la Fuerza Aérea de Irak.
key.Aero
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Three more Iraqi Air Force T-6A Texan II training aircraft touched down in Tikrit on September 21, bringing the current inventory of the fledgling air arm to eleven. In all 15 aircraft are being provided by the US Government.
The first four T-6As arrived in December 2009, followed by four more in February. The arrival of the latest aircraft coincided with the first graduation ceremony for eight fixed-wing and 12 rotary-wing pilots at the Iraqi Air Force College that opened in Tikrit on March 11, bringing the total trained by the US Air Force’s 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron (EFTS) to 102.
key.Aero

La US Navy comienza a entrenar con el T-6 Texan II/ US Navy begins training on T-6 Texan

La US Navy ha comenzado a entrenar a sus pilotos con el Hawker Beechcraft T-6B Texan II, el cual sustituirá al T-34C Turbomentor en su totalidad para 2015.
key.Aero
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The US Navy has begun pilot training with the Hawker Beechcraft T-6B Texan II, replacing the T-34C Turbomentor with VT-3 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Florida.
The T-6B Texan II will have replaced all T-34C Turbomentors at Whiting Field by 2015.
key.Aero

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.