AMR-June-July-2013

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A I R P O W E R C O U N T E R I N S U R G E N C Y Norton Schwartz announced the Light Attack Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (LAAR) programme in September 2008. Envisaged as a fillip to industry, the USAF envisaged a $2 billion purchase of 100 LAAR aircraft. Initially, LAAR was to be a small plane with an advanced sensor suite, hardpoints for light missiles, bombs and rockets, and an independent capability to find and engage targets at night. LAAR would also function as a forward air control aircraft, directing gunfire and ordnance from other platforms. The aircraft would need to operate from austere forward operating bases, and be largely self-sustaining. Proposed candidates for the LAAR programme included a modified crop duster demonstrated at the 2009 Paris Air Show, the Alenia M346, the Super Tucano (see above), Pilatus PC-6 Porter and Hawker Beechcraft AT-6B Texan II. Although the Pentagon expected LAAR to A Republic of Singapore Air Force McDonnell Douglas A-4SU Skyhawk is seen here in this image. Alongside the Cessna Dragonfly, the Skyhawk would be used extensively by the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War © US DoD be based on an ‘in production’ aircraft, Boeing tried to sneak in the OV-10(X) Bronco, based on the Vietnam-era twinengine, twin-boom forward air controller platform. Boeing said it was prepared to resume Bronco production at a facility not yet chosen, which shows how important even COIN aircraft are to the balance sheets of major aeronautical players. Embraer’s Super Tucano was already being tested in Afghanistan under a US Navy programme known as Imminent Fury. Meanwhile the thrust of LAAR was Alenia Aermacchi’s M346 Master represents a new breed of light jet trainer which can also be configured to perform the COIN mission. The Republic of Singapore Air Force currently has twelve of the aircraft on order © Wikimedia Commons 10 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l
A I R P O W E R C O U N T E R I N S U R G E N C Y Hawker Beechcraft’s T-6 Texan-II has been acquired by the Iraqi Air Force. The country has purchased a total of 15 of the machines. The Texan-II is available in its trainer (T-6) and armed (AT-6) configurations, the latter version being ideal for COIN operations © US DoD shifting to reflect Defense Secretary Gates’ view that platforms and missions must be relevant to conflicts like those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Furthermore, it had to be something that was readily transferable to partner nations. It was to be an affordable, modular, open-architecture aircraft and equipment. Some of these requirements, including those for high-altitude capability and for an on-board oxygen generation system, seem tailored to the war in Afghanistan. To many in the Pentagon, it seemed timely to bring back Vietnam War era CAS/COIN tactics and to merge them with 21st century weapons and technology. You could see their point. The LAAR platform was to fly at altitudes up to 30,000ft with a range up to 900nm. The aircraft was to be fitted with fuel tanks, The projected LAAR COIN aircraft might not have the cachet of the F-16C/D or F/A18E/F, but it would do much of what they did for around $1,000 per flight hour multi-function display (MFD) and fully compatible head up display (HUD) with night vision goggle (NVG) for a six-hour mission. It would be expected to perform missions such as streaming video, forwarding air control, escort, CAS, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Using a wide-range of equipped such as electro-optical, infrared and laser sensors, LAAR would be armed with .50 calibre machine guns pods, 2.75 inch rocket pods, air-to-ground Hellfire or Maverick, AIM-9 air-to-air missiles, laser guided bombs including Paveway II and Paveway IV, joint direct attack munitions (JDAM) and small diameter bombs. The projected LAAR COIN aircraft might not have the cachet of the F-16C/D or F/A- 18E/F, but it would do much of what they did for around $1,000 per flight hour. l JUNE/JULY <strong>2013</strong> l 11
Page 1 and 2: VOLUME 21/ISSUE 4 JUNE/JULY 2013 US
Page 3 and 4: Contents JUNE/JULY 2013 VOLUME 21 /
Page 6 and 7: A I R P O W E R C O U N T E R I N S
Page 14 and 15: I N F A N T R Y F I G H T I N G V E
Page 22 and 23: VOLUME 18/ISSUE 2 MARCH 2010 US$15
Page 24 and 25: REGIONAL U A V D I R E C T O R Y Th
Page 26: REGIONAL U A V D I R E C T O R Y Th
Page 29 and 30: REGIONAL U A V D I R E C T O R Y J/
Page 31 and 32: REGIONAL U A V D I R E C T O R Y te
Page 34 and 35: NIGHT VISION T H E R M A L I M A G
Page 40 and 41: C L O S E A I R S U P P O R T UP CL
Page 42 and 43: C L O S E A I R S U P P O R T ance
Page 44 and 45: C L O S E A I R S U P P O R T Depar
Page 46 and 47: M I L I T A R Y TRAINING & SIMULATI
Page 48: M I L I T A R Y TRAINING & SIMULATI
Page 51 and 52: There is a steadily increasing dema
Page 53 and 54: N A V A L ANTI-SURFACE WARFARE One
Page 55 and 56: N A V A L ANTI-SURFACE WARFARE adva
Page 58 and 59: BUSINESS WITH ROSONBORNEXPORT A NEE
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REGIONAL NEWS A N D D E V E L O P M
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REGIONAL NEWS A N D D E V E L O P M
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AMR-June-July-2013

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