[sukhoi-30mki]

Artwork: Hawker Beechcraft

[Trod Upon]

Maybe we’ve still got an AU-1 or two that we could dust off.

[sinanju]

I still think they should have gone with a modernized OV-10 Bronco.

Better visibility for the Forward Air Control / Liaison role.

[sasportas]

If they want a prop plane, why not just bring back the Navy’s Skyraider, AD-1. This was truly a great attack aircraft. Put a turboprop in it.

[Little Pig]

While I can fully understand the need for something that can fly low-and-slow to bring the rain to the terrorists, a slow aircraft is even easier to hit with machinegun fire than a fast one. Something that small can only carry so much armor before it becomes too heavy to fly, and it has to be able to get out of range quickly when it needs to.

To be honest, re-creating one of the old WWII-era fighters might have been a better choice. Some of those had ridiculously low stall speeds, and much beefier airframes. They also carried engines that could hit nearly 1000hp under emergency power. Something like the old P-40 or P-47, with modern avionics, would fit the bill nicely (and ya gotta love the sound those old fighter engines made).

[ccmay]

oh hell yeah, that's what my Dad learned to fly in.

[Kakaze]

Good night, keep building A -10's perfect aircraft for this.

A Beech Craft with a PT-6 is an awesome aircraft.........god love my corporate days in a King Air 200 but this is not what we need militarily.

[Mariner]

Looks like they picked perfect concept for the role.

[fso301]

Seems to me that a pusher would be better in a ground attack role. The engine in the rear would aid maneuverability. All the heat would be in the rear thereby reducing MANPAD's ability to engage from head on. Swept blades would allow sharp takeoffs without worrying about blade tips touching the ground, Guns could be clustered in the nose for concentrated fire similar to that of the P-38 lightning.

[bunkerhill7]

A Stearman has 2 wings;
if one gets shot off,
you got one left.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Still never had confidence in the designation AT-6 because it sounds like 86 which isn't a good thing.

[blueunicorn6]

Balloons are the answer. The enemy sees that big Mr. Peanut balloon coming, and right away, they want a beer and quit shooting so they can head for the bar. Or, better yet, pump some gas into Joy Behar’s big,empty jug-of-a-head and float her over the enemy. Geez, look up and see that, especially if she wasn’t wearing underwear, and your eyes would melt.

[joe.fralick]

I love your posts. Military hardware is cool.

[paddles]

This article is very poorly researched which is odd for Dr. Goure.

First of all Dr. Goure confuses the LAS with the LAAR programs which are entirely different. LAS is intended to supply the Afghan National Army Air Corps with a light attack aircraft and LAAR will create a CONUS-based squadron to train foreign pilots in current TTPs. Thus LAAR aircraft will never "join" HBC MC-12s in theater.

Next, Dr. Goure obviously didn't read the RFP because their never was one for LAAR. It will be a subsequent award under the LAS RFP. Further, the LAS RFP never called for the aircraft to come equipped with a "canon" but instead specified twin .50s (BTW, the AT-6 does not have internally mounted guns as does the Super Tucano, resulting in the loss of two external hardpoints and the increased drag of gun pods).

Dr. Goure then refers to the AT-6 as a "low risk" solution which stretches credulity. There are only two AT-6 prototypes in existence and the aircraft is not certified to drop weapons. According to the Luke AFB newspaper, HBC will not begin attempting to qualify laser-guided munitions on the aircaft until after contract award this summer. Low risk?

Finally, Dr. Goure states there would be operational challenges to a foreign solution (read: Super Tucano) which again betrays Dr. Goure's frail grasp of the material. The AT-6 is still in development and far from operational unlike the Super Tucano which is operational in five different air forces (soon to be seven) including well-publicized instances of employing LGBs at night to whack FARC HVTs.

I have come to expect better from Dr. Goure and The Lexington Institute. This is not one of their better efforts.