Народна подписка за купуване на самолет Scorpion за ВВС
Характеристиките на самолета са изключителни и може да се ползва за патрулни и разузнавателни полети, за обучение и наблюдение, за поддържане на летателна годност и за още много операции.
Най-важното му предимство е, че "гори" 10 пъти по-малко от един МиГ-29 и реално след две години държавата ще икономиса средства, колкото е цената му само от гориво. Другото категорично предимство е, че има електронна кабина, в която пилотите могат да получат съвременна подготовка.(01/04/2014)
Dieser Jet kostet sieben Mal weniger als der Gripen
Der Industriekonzern Textron aus dem US-Bundesstaat Rhode Island hat seinen Scorpion in nur 23 Monaten vom Zeichentisch zum flugfähigen Prototyp entwickelt. Nun fehlen nur noch die Kunden – und so wittert man nach dem Nein des Schweizer Volks zum Gripen die Chance, mit der Eidgenossenschaft ins Geschäft zu kommen.
- Ja, das ist viel billiger als ein Überschalljet.
- Nein, der Jet ist für den Luftkampf ungeeignet.
- Weiss nicht.
«Der Scorpion ist ideal auf die Verhältnisse der Schweiz zugeschnitten», sagt Projektchef Bill Anderson gegenüber dem «Tages-Anzeiger». «Er ist günstiger als der Gripen und erfüllt dennoch 90 Prozent der gestellten Aufgaben. Der Schweiz könnten wir den Jet für weniger als 20 Millionen Dollar anbieten.» Bereits ist der Konzern bei der Schweizer Botschaft in Washington vorstellig geworden.
Kein Überschalljet
Entwickelt wurde der Jet mit der Vorgabe, den weltweit unter Spardruck stehenden Luftwaffen einen erschwinglichen Jet anzubieten. Der Scorpion ist rund sieben Mal billiger als der Gripen – aber er ist auch kein Überschalljet. Dennoch kann er laut Anderson mit Ausnahme des Luftkampfes praktisch alle anderen Aufgaben der Luftraumüberwachung und der Aufklärung übernehmen. «Die meisten Luftwaffen fliegen im Alltag nur solche Aufträge», so Anderson. Er hebt auch die mit rund 3000 Dollar pro Stunde tiefen Betriebskosten hervor, mit denen ein Überschall-Abfangjäger nicht mithalten kann.
Textron schätzt den Markt auf insgesamt 2000 Maschinen weltweit. Interessiert sind bislang vor allem Länder in Asien und Lateinamerika sowie die US National Guard. Die Jets sollen ab 2016 ausgeliefert werden. Der Jungfernflug absolvierte der Scorpion Ende 2013. Zum Einsatz kommen hauptsächlich bewährte Teile von Zivilmaschinen. So stammen die Flügel und das Fahrwerk von der Cessna.
Technologietransfer mit Pilatus
Wie der Gripen-Hersteller Saab würde auch der US-Industriekonzern der Schweiz Gegengeschäfte anbieten. «Wir würden den Pilatus-Werken einen Technologietransfer anbieten», so Anderson zum «Tages-Anzeiger». Textron ist der weltgrösste Hersteller von Geschäftsflugzeugen (Cessna), stellt aber auch Drohnen und Helikopter des Typs Bell/Agusta her.
Umstritten ist unter Experten, ob es für den Jet eine Nische gibt. Die Teal Group etwa, eine auf die Luftverteidigung spezialisierte Einzelfirma schätzt den weltweiten Bedarf auf jährlich nur 20 Maschinen.
Der Jungfernflug im Video
Carter to offer Scorpion to India under joint development plan
Source: Textron
US defence secretary Ashton Carter's two-day visit to India in early June is expected to raise the levels of bilateral strategic and defence co-operation between the two countries, senior Indian military officials have told IHS Jane's .
Carter will sign a 10-year India-US Defence Framework Agreement and fast-track the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), under which the two countries will co-develop and co-produce military equipment in India.
Industry sources said that under the DTTI, which Carter initiated as deputy defence secretary in 2012, the US was expected to offer the Textron AirLand Scorpion light-attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft currently being developed to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, who is believed to have expressed interest in the Scorpion, believes the twin-seat platform can double as an intermediate jet trainer (IJT). The IAF badly needs an IJT due to delays to the Sitara (Star) platform, which Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been developing since 2005.
At the 2014 Farnborough Airshow, Textron officials told IHS Jane's that the Scorpion would cost less than USD20 million to procure and around USD3,000 per hour to operate. The company has also outlined a sales target of 2,000 platforms to international operators over the coming years. It did not respond to requests for comment on the potential deal with India.
Approved during President Barack Obama's Delhi visit in January, the defence framework agreement extends the scope of joint military exercises and inter-operability, intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism, and maritime co-operation.
It also expands the frequency of reciprocal visits by senior military and defence personnel.
"We are looking to do more in terms of [military] exercises and joint training and interoperability with our Indian counterparts," US Ambassador to India Richard Rahul Verma said at the first US-India Think Tank Summit in Delhi on 28 April.
"Hopefully we will provide more in terms of increasing India's indigenous capability to make defence products," he said in reference to Carter's visit.
Verma said the two sides were "tracking" 77 different initiatives that had emerged from Obama's visit. "We have re-energised or launched 30 new initiatives, 30 different dialogues," he said without elaborating.
Officials said that during his visit, Carter was also expected to review progress in the four 'pathfinder' technologies that the US had agreed to transfer to India under the DTTI.
These include the know-how to co-develop and jointly manufacture AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven battlefield unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and roll-on/roll-off ISR modules for the IAF's 11 Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 transport aircraft.
Two additional technologies - to develop and build mobile electric hybrid power systems (MEHPS) and integrated Protection Ensemble Increment-2 clothing for protection against nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare - are also being transferred.
The two technical working groups set up earlier in 2015 to jointly develop aircraft engines and electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS) for aircraft carriers will also be reviewed during the defence secretary's visit.
Meanwhile, Carter is expected to push India to sign a USD2.5 billion contract for 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache and 15 Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters for the IAF, negotiations for which were completed in late 2013.
On 1 April, Boeing agreed to hold the price for both platforms for three months until 30 June, but is believed to have informed the IAF that it would be unable to do so thereafter. Industry sources said this was the ninth instance that Boeing had agreed to keep the deal going at the same price.
Under India's Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), any change in the price of a negotiated contract requires it to be re-tendered.
Textron AirLand’s Scorpion makes its Le Bourget debut
The Scorpion light attack jet is making its Paris Air Show Debut as manufacturer Textron AirLand further explores the European market for its clean-sheet design. Attendees can view the tandem cockpit twinjet in fully armed configuration at the A4 static display area.
Scorpion e вече в България!
Самолетът с американска цивилна регистрация N531TA излетя от летището в Ница около 14,40 часа и след полет над Средизмено море, Италия, Адриатика, Хърватска и Сърбия се приземи в авиобаза Граф Ихнатиево. Преди това самолетът бе част от изложението в Бурже, Франция. Малко преди Scorpion в базата кацна и бизнесджет Cessna 680 Sovereign, с който пристигнаха представители на компанията производител.
Утре в авиобазата ще се проведе презентация на машината пред представители на МО и ВВС. В нейните рамки се предвиждат и полети с български военни летци.
България няма изискване за покупка на подобен клас бойни самолети, но представянето на Scorpion у нас е част от европейския маркетингов тур, който Textron организира. Знае се, че самолетът ще бъде показан и във Великобритания.
Scorpion изпълни първи полет на 12 декември 2013 г. Машината е изцяло нова конструкция, като основният ѝ замисъл е да се използва, като многоцелева дозвукова платформа в задачи по непосредствена авиационна поддръжка, разузнаване и наблюдение, патрулиране и ограничени задачи по контрол на въздушното пространство срещу малоскоростни цели.
Машината има двучленен екипаж, максимална излетна маса от 9300 kg и два реактивни двигателя Honeywell TFE731 (18 kN). Scorpion има шест точки за окачване под крилото, които могат да носят боен товар до 2800 kg. Машината има и вътрешен отсек, който може да се използва за разполагане на разнообразен специален товар, като прицелно-обзорни комплекси и други подобни.
Textron AirLand все още няма стартов клиент за Scorpion. До момента единственият прототип е натрупал около 400 часа нальот и е тестван при разнообразни условия и задачи. От компанията заявяват, че обмислят разработката и на чисто учебна версия на самолета за участие в американския конкурс T-X за замяна на T-38. (aeropress)
Коментар:
Преди повече от две години aeronews "видя" това посещение. На 1 април 2014 година предложихме нашата инициатива "Народна подписка" за закупуване на самолета. Да се надяваме, че управляващите България ще намерят пари, поне за 1-2 двойки от тези самолети, които да охраняват небето ни. Тук не става въпрос за военни действия срещу изтребители от четвърто и пето поколение, а за защита от контрабандисти и терористи, които може да причинят големи щети.
23/06/2015Scorpion Selected For Potential U.K. Training Bid
Textron Airland’s Scorpion light attack aircraft will be used for ASDOT, the UK defense ministry’s Air Support to Defense Operational Training program, following an agreement signed here Monday.
A consortium of Qinetiq and Thales have chosen Textron Airland’s Scorpion light attack aircraft as the platform for its bid into a major U.K. live flying training program.
The companies want to offer the Scorpion for the U.K. defense ministry’s Air Support to Defense Operational Training (ASDOT) program.
CEOs from the three companies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 11. The ASDOT requirement will see the selected commercial operator deliver red air and electronic warfare (EW) training across the U.K. armed forces, replacing a number of individual contracts with a single umbrella contract with a single operator.
According to the bidders, the contract is expected to be awarded in September 2018, with a service delivery start in January 2020, and could be worth up to GBP1.2 billion (US$1.5 billion) over 15 years.
Several other companies have also expressed an interest in bidding for the contract, which will replace Cobham Aviation’s Falcon 20s and Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit BAe Hawks operated by Babcock.
The consortium says the Scorpion was selected after evaluations of 50 different aircraft types.
Qinetiq’s role would be the provision of both the fleet and its pilots as well as aircraft maintenance. The company would also get involved in the integration of sensors and jamming pods as well as ensure that the program complies with the complex U.K. Military Aviation Authority rules. Qinetiq wouldalso ensure the aircraft have provisions for synthetic training and airborne aerial target towing.
Thales would install sensors onboard the aircraft to boost situational awareness, threat replication and targeting training as well as some electronic warfare capability.
Last year, British pilots from both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy evaluated the Scorpion after the Paris Air Show. As part of that evaluation, they participated in a number of exercises in the close air support and intelligence-gathering missions supporting ground troops. As part of the trials, Thales I-Master synthetic aperture radar was integrated into the aircraft.
The Scorpion also operated with the Royal Navy’s Sea King airborne early warning helicopters.
Victor Chavez, Thales U.K. CEO, said: “Through this unique partnership with Qinetiq and Textron and the complementary expertise within our respective fields, we have the opportunity to offer all three armed services the most effective, cutting-edge technology coupled with world-leading training and services expertise.
Steve Wadey, Qinetiq CEO, said: “Collaborative working of this nature is vital within the aerospace and defense industries, and I believe this partnership puts us all in a strong position to succeed.”
Scorpion jet successfully completes first weapons capability exercise
The weapons system design, integration and flight test coordination for all three weapon types were achieved in an impressive time span of less than three months. The weapons testing program occurred Oct. 10-14 in coordination with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) organization and the 586th Flight Test Squadron from HAFB. All weapon types performed flawlessly and included Hydra-70 unguided 2.75-inch rockets, BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) and AGM-114F Hellfire Missiles. The weapons were guided to their targets using first a ground-based laser designator system and then an airborne laser on the Scorpion‘s L-3 WESCAM’s MX-15Di sensor suite.
“The success of the first weapons capability exercise is a major milestone for the Scorpion program as we continue to demonstrate its mission flexibility and multi-role capabilities,” said Tom Hammoor, senior vice president of Defense at Textron Aviation. “We could not be more pleased with the results of this exercise, thanks to the collaboration between our Scorpion team, the NAVSEA organization and the Holloman Air Force Base.”
The first Scorpion prototype continues its robust flight test program, while the first flight of the first production conforming Scorpion is expected soon.
Textron Begins a Limited Production Run of Scorpion Jet, But No Contract Yet
Textron has yet to land a first customer for the aircraft, the internally-funded clean-sheet design the company has been promoting in international markets since its 2013 debut. But Textron wants to take advantage of growing interest in the aircraft, likely caused by recent successful weapons tests and an agreement with the Air Force to assess the airworthiness of the platform, said Scott Donnelly, the company's chairman and chief executive officer.
“Given the level of activity, we’ve gone ahead and sort of pulled the trigger on initiating a small production build to help validate our manufacturing processes,” he said in an Oct. 20 earnings call.
Producing a limited batch of aircraft will also help validate the company’s manufacturing processes and support Air Force requirements as the service assesses the jet, he said.
While there is no firm date for the aircraft to complete its airworthiness assessment, Donnelly said Textron personnel are working with officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to finalize detailed test plans and review data.
Meanwhile, the company has also conducted weapons testing of the jet in preparation for the first flight of a production-conforming jet, which Donnelly said will occur “very soon.”
The Scorpion recently completed its first weapons demonstration at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, a company statement said. During the event, an airborne laser on the Scorpion‘s L-3 WESCAM’s MX-15Di sensor suite guided Hydra-70 unguided 2.75-inch rockets, BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) and AGM-114F Hellfire missiles to their targets.
The acceleration of Scorpion testing and production — which resulted in higher expenses than had originally been planned for in this stage of the program — has led to some pressure on earnings, Donnelly conceded.
“This is certainly not, still, a sure bet,” but Textron would not take the financial risk if it wasn’t seeing strong interest from customers that indicated the time was right to start production and more aggressively pursue marketing and test flying the aircraft, he said.
One potential path to a future contract is the UK’s Air Support to Defence Operational Training program, Bill Anderson, president of Textron AirLand, told Defense News this July. This summer, Thales and QinetiQ selected Textron’s Scorpion as the aircraft in its proposed offering for the contract. According to a QinetiQ news release, the Scorpion was chosen for its high performance, reliability and low acquisition costs.
First production conforming Scorpion jet completes successful first flight
The aircraft took off from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita and conducted a range of maneuvers during the one hour and 42 minute flight. The multi-mission, twin-engine jet performed extremely well and was piloted by experimental test pilots Don Parker and Dave Sitz, who verified the avionics and aerodynamic performance as well as a number of aircraft systems.
The latest version of the Scorpion incorporates a number of improvements based on target customer feedback as well as results from the extensive flight test program. The program has accumulated more than 800 flight hours in both test and real-world operational settings.
The company also announced Garmin as the avionics provider for the enhanced Scorpion. This avionics platform is based on the advanced G3000 integrated flight deck and is optimized for rigorous military operations. The newly configured G3000 avionics system features a large, high-definition display complemented by two high-definition touch-screen controllers and provides more mission capability in the forward cockpit position, additional navigation capability in the rear cockpit position and overall weight savings for improved performance as a multi-mission aircraft. In addition to the new avionics, changes to the airframe include four degrees of sweep to the wings, an enhanced aft horizontal stabilizer for improved high-speed performance, a simplified landing gear design, a next-generation Heads Up Display (HUD) and hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls.
The first production conforming Scorpion will start a robust flight test program, working closely with the United States Air Force on the first of its kind airworthiness assessment of a Non-DoD military aircraft design.
LiteHUD Head-up Display selected for Scorpion Jet
BAE Systems has been selected to provide its LiteHUD® head-up display for Textron AirLand’s multi-mission Scorpion jet. The initial order will support the Scorpion’s robust flight test program.
“This award marks the second new platform order for LiteHUD, further validating it as the future of head-up display technology,” said Andy Humphries, director of Advanced Displays at BAE Systems. “With its revolutionary optics and high-resolution display, LiteHUD will provide Scorpion pilots with the ‘head-up, eyes-out’ capability they need, no matter the mission.”
Designed using BAE Systems’ patented optical waveguide technology, LiteHUD is 60 percent smaller by volume and up to 50 percent lighter than conventional head-up displays. The system is engineered to enhance situational awareness, in both day and night conditions, which significantly improves flight safety and reduces pilot fatigue. Its modular design, which includes a built-in color camera, enables seamless integration with both existing and future cockpits.
In two years of flight operations, according to Textron AirLand, the Scorpion jet has deployed to 10 countries and amassed more than 800 flight hours through military training exercises. Built for versatility, the Scorpion excels in many roles, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support, armed reconnaissance, maritime and border patrol, and jet training missions.
BAE Systems has been a leader in head-up display development and production for more than 50 years, a position gained through continuous investment in technology and innovation. The company has produced more than 15,000 head-up displays that have been in service on more than 50 different aircraft types in more than 50 countries around the world. BAE Systems’ displays perform on some of the most advanced and demanding military aircraft, which will now include the Scorpion fast jet.
For more information on LiteHUD, visit: www.baesystems.com/litehud
Textron is no longer working with the US Air Force on Scorpion’s airworthiness assessment. But these 2 companies are.
LONDON — In 2016, the U.S. Air Force opened a new office to evaluate the airworthiness of military aircraft it didn’t plan to buy, thus making it easier for those U.S. companies to sell internationally. Now its flagship effort with Textron’s Scorpion jet has been suspended.
After moving through the first phase of the airworthiness assessment, Textron decided to step away from the process, Bill Harris, Textron’s vice president for Scorpion sales, confirmed in a July 14 interview.
The reason, he said, is that the company opted to pool its financial resources in support of its AT-6 Wolverine turboprop that the Air Force is evaluating as part of the light-attack experiment. If turned into a program of record, that opportunity could be worth several hundred planes.
“AT-6 is a very important program,” Harris told Defense News at the Royal International Air Tattoo. “Any smart company moves their resources where they need to go, and all of our efforts with the Scorpion are privately funded.”
The Air Force announced in July 2016 that it had signed a cooperative research and development agreement, or CRADA, with Textron. The agreement was the first of its kind, aimed at allowing the Air Force to gain insight into technologies it isn’t purchasing and to clear away some of the evaluations that must be done before a sale to a foreign nation.