The first two of 10 AirTractor AT-802Us ordered by the United Arab Emirates air force have been spotted by alert photographers.
The counter-insurgency aircraft - each powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A turboprop engine - arrived at Luqa airport in Malta in late December while en route to their final destination in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi ordered the adapted cropdusters last year, when it became the first acknowledged military buyer for the counter-insurgency version.
The AT-802U is fitted with a turret-housed electro-optical/infrared sensor to identify targets on the ground. AirTractor has integrated a variety of armaments with the type, including guided weapons and a .50cal machine gun pod.
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© Malcolm Bezzina |
Images show the first pair of aircraft carrying their US delivery registrations N6008Q and N60066.
Source: Flight International