Hawker Beechcraft is pushing ahead with its AT6-B counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft programme and glass cockpit avionics upgrade packages for the T-6A.
The AT6-B aircraft builds on the company’s T-6A Texan II platform and its open-avionics architecture.
Both the Beechcraft AT-6B and T-6B are developments of the US Navy and US Air Force joint primary air training system (JPATS) programme, as well as NATO flying training Canada and the Hellenic Air Force. More than 435 aircraft have been delivered, flying more than 625,000 hours to date.
The AT-6B sensor package offers electro-optical, infrared and hyper spectral sensors to find, fix, track and target objects on the ground. Steaming video can be sent to control centres using multi-waveform datalinks, while a range of weaponry, from .50 calibre machine gun pods through to MiL-STD 1760 smart weapons, supports the light-attack mission.
Tom Byrd, vice president government business for Hawker Beechcraft, says: “We have put together a world-class team to develop the AT-6B into an incredible COIN platform which meets or exceeds the demanding requirements for the USAF programme in Iraq.
”Teaming with proven companies like Raytheon, L-3 Communications, ATK, BAE, Ceredyne and Smiths, the AT-6B will meet a wide range of operational needs around the world.”
Hawker Beechcraft, in connection with CMC Electronics, is also going ahead with the avionics upgrade programme (AUP) for the T-6A Texan II, creating the Beechcraft T-6B. The advanced avionics suite includes two state-of-the-art integrated avionics computers driving three multi-function displays per cockpit and a HUD.
Source: Flight Daily News
