Light Attack Aircraft - Experiment Phase 2
Lara Seligman of Aerospace Daily reported 22 August 2017 that " A new fleet of about 300 affordable light attack aircraft designed for the low-threat environment would ease the burden on the fourth- and fifth-generation fighters currently providing close-air support in the Middle East, freeing them up for the high-end missions they were designed to fly. The cost to operate and maintain the new aircraft is expected to be much lower than the high-end fighters—Sierra Nevada has boasted “well under $1,000 per hour” for the turboprop A-29 compared to about $18,000 for the A-10C and $34,000 for the F-15C.... . A light attack fleet would provide another track for new fighter pilots, allowing them to gain critical combat experience and accumulate hundreds of flight hours in a short amount of time... "
Flying began May 7, 2018, for the Air Force’s second phase of the Light Attack Experiment at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Pilots are flying the Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 Super Tucano and the Textron Aviation AT-6B Wolverine during a three-month, live-fly experiment to gather additional information about aircraft capabilities, as well as partner nation interoperability, prior to a potential light attack purchase.
“This second phase of experimentation is about informing the rapid procurement process as we move closer to investing in light attack,” said Lt. Gen. Arnie Bunch, military deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. “If we can get light attack aircraft operating in permissive combat environments, we can alleviate the demand on our 4th and 5th generation aircraft, so they can be training for the high-end fight they were made for.”
The Air Force is also assessing interoperability and networking capabilities, to one day carry out light attack operations side-by-side with coalition partners. According to the 2018 Air Force Posture Statement, “Retaining irregular warfare as a core competency at a lower cost, and strengthening our alliances are key elements of our National Defense Strategy.”
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Goldfein told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, “We're looking at light attack through the lens of allies and partners. A big part of the Light Attack Experiment is a common architecture and an intelligence-sharing network, so that those who would join us would be part of the campaign against violent extremism.”
During this phase of experimentation, aircrew include fighter, attack, or special operations pilots, plus test pilots and flight engineers from the Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve. Collectively, they average more than 1,000 flight hours and more than 100 combat missions, and all pilots have been instructors in one or more aircraft.
Flight scenarios will consist of both day and night missions in air interdiction, close air support, armed overwatch, and combat search and rescue. Maintenance observers will focus on flightline and in-shop maintenance, to inform sustainment and product support requirements. The experiment is part of a broader Air Force effort to explore cost-effective attack platform options under the Light Attack Experimentation Campaign led by the Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
The Air Force released final requests for proposal 24 October 2019 for a limited number of Textron Aviation AT-6 and Sierra Nevada Corporation/Embraer Defense & Security A-29 aircraft. The Air Force planned to purchase two to three light attack aircraft from each manufacturer to help support the National Defense Strategy's focus on building allies and partner capacity, capability and interoperability via training and experimentation. "Over the last two years, I watched as the Air Force experimented with light attack aircraft to discover alternate, cost-effective options to deliver airpower and build partner capacity around the globe," said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett. "I look forward to this next phase." The Air Force worked closely with industry to finalize the requests for proposal details.
- The AT-6 Wolverine will be used by Air Combat Command at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for continued testing and development of operational tactics and standards for exportable, tactical networks that improve interoperability with international partners.
- The A-29 Super Tucano will be used at Hurlburt Field, Florida, by Air Force Special Operations Command to develop an instructor pilot program for the Combat Aviation Advisory mission, to meet increased partner nation requests for light attack assistance.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
