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UTVA Kobac (Sparrowhawk) attack trainer

The cooperation with the UTVA company from Pancevo concentrates on the realisation of an attack trainer turboprop aircraft for higher basic flight-combat training. Besides its primary purpose, the KOBAC aircraft is suitable for antiterrorist, anti-diversant and counter insurgency missions at difficult terrains such as gorges and narrow river valleys.

The airplane was designed in cooperation of the Military Technical Institute, Utva and SDPR Jugoimpor. Utva (English wild duck) is an aircraft factory (fabrika aviona is Serbo-Croatian ) located in Panèevo, north of Belgrade, Serbia. Founded in 1937 in Zemun, the company is known of light sport and training aircraft, with over 900 aircrat having been produced. In 1996 the factory merged with the Lola factory in Železnik, and is now known as Lola-Utva.

Kobac was shown to reporters for the first time Monday 2nd April 2012 at the Utva factory in Pancevo. Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac was present at the unveiling of the prototype, and stated that "this will be one of the most important products of our military industry, and its production is to start next year". The completion of this project, which provoked interest abroad, was expected in 2014.

Although the Kobac is based on the Lasta airframe, there are numerous modifications to suit its new roles. The most obvious is the 1,000-shp turboprop engine in a lengthened nose. The Sparrow Hawk aircraft is a training/battle aircraft with turbo propeller engine, developed by Utva from Pancevo and the Military Technical Institute. The aircraft conception has been taken from the Swallow, with a considerable improving of performances, combat system carrying capacity, as well as the integration of a new attack/navigation and pilot saving systems.

The aircraft is operated by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turbo propeller engine with the power of 857 kW. The crew consists of the learning pilot and the instructor, the empty aircraft mass is 1,325 kg, maximum speed 500 km/h, landing range 1,537 km, and the flight maximum altitude 11,580 m. The Sparrow Hawk has got additional fuel tanks at the wing ends, proviiding it with greater flying autonomy and at the binding points under the wings, it may carry out combined weapon systems – non-guided 57 mm missiles, bombs of 100 kg each and those of 250 kg each.