• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Scorpion - Program

Textron AirLand LLC – a joint venture of diversified industrial Textron Inc. and specialized defense proponent AirLand Enterprises – began flight tests of its Scorpion intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and strike aircraft less than two years after the program started. The privately funded Scorpion first flew in December 2013. By early October 2014, the tandem-seat jet had logged just over 200 flight hours and had crossed the Atlantic in search of a launch customer. The first Scorpion was built on speculation as a test aircraft and marketing demonstrator. The test program follows US MIL-Handbook 516 and FAA Part 23 airworthiness guidelines.

The company-funded program progressed from concept to first flight in just 23 months and was designed to capture the synergy between commercial aircraft production practices and advanced mission system technologies. In over two years of flight operations, the Scorpion has deployed to 10 countries, participated in military training exercises and operations, flown numerous U.S. and international military pilots and amassed more than 800 flight hours.

First-year flight testing highlights:

• Total flight hours: 266 from December 12, 2013 to December 12, 2014
• Availability: Scorpion’s first-year availability rating was greater than 95 percent, an extremely high mission capability score for a prototype tactical jet aircraft
• Confirmed efficiency: Demonstrated below $3,000 per flight hour
• First trans-Atlantic roundtrip flight: Scorpion crossed the Atlantic for its international debut at the Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough International Air Show. The trip was completed one day ahead of schedule, covering over 9,200 nautical miles in a total of 38 hours flight time.
• International demo: Flew the first international pilot at the British Empire Test Pilots’ School
• First military exercise: Participated in Vigilant Guard 2014, a large-scale, multi-state disaster response exercise sponsored by U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau. Scorpion provided aerial reconnaissance, transmission of full motion video and communications regarding mock threat scenarios, in tight coordination with other aircraft and ground stations
• Longest flight: 4.2 hours during Vigilant Guard 2014
• Top speed achieved: 455 Knots True Air Speed (KTAS); 0.78 Mach
• Low speed achieved: Demonstrated an intercept of a low, slow flying threat aircraft below 100 KTAS
• Top altitude achieved: 45,000 feet

Textron AirLand, LLC, announced 22 December 2016 the successful maiden flight of the first production conforming Scorpion jet. This program milestone closely follows the recent successful weapons capability exercise on the prototype Scorpion completed in early October 2016. 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 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.

Textron is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee and Textron Systems.

AirLand Enterprises, LLC was formed by a group of experienced aerospace and defense executives dedicated to bringing an effective, low-cost, ISR/Strike jet to domestic and international military markets, replacing aging aircraft and complimenting high-end multi-role fighters.

Textron AirLand, LLC is a joint venture between Textron Inc. and AirLand Enterprises, LLC with the purpose of designing and manufacturing an affordable, capable jet platform based on commercially available technologies and processes for the tactical military jet aviation market.