Combat aircraft

SCORPION SETS SIGHTS

ON THE MIDDLE EAST

COMING DIRECTLY FROM a

demonstration visit to the Royal

Saudi Air Force (RSAF) at King Faisal

Air Base, Tabuk, Textron AirLand’s

third prototype Scorpion (N532TX)

was a significant attendee at

November’s Dubai Airshow. Saudi

Arabia is reportedly studying

possible co-production under

license to meet regional demand,

although the light attack and

intelligence, surveillance and

reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft is still to

secure a launch customer.

Looking at the candidates that

recently lined up for the US Air

Force’s light attack experiment

(OA-X), the Scorpion is in a

different bracket to the likes of the

IOMAX Archangel or the AT-

Wolverine. Its maximum take-off

weight is 22,000lb in comparison

with 14,800lb for the Archangel. Its

maximum speed is 450kt, compared

with the Archangel’s 210kt.

The Scorpion also features an

internal payload bay with a 3,000lb

capacity as well as six underwing

hardpoints capable of carrying

6,200lb. The RSAF apparently sees

the Scorpion as a complementary

capability to the likes of the

Archangel.

The initial production-standard

Scorpion (N531TA), flown for the first

time on December 22, 2016, is

equipped with a new head-up

display (HUD), hands on throttle and

stick controls (HOTAS) and a

Garmin G3000-based avionics suite.

Textron AirLand completed initial

firing trials with Hydra 70 unguided

2.75in rockets, the BAE Systems

Advanced Precision Kill Weapon

System (APKWS) and Lockheed

Martin AGM-114F Hellfires at the

An F-22 on the KC-10’s boom,

receiving fuel during the first

Afghanistan missions for the

Raptor on November 19.

USAF/TSgt Gregory Brook

An unpainted N532TX

engaged in trials at

NAS Patuxent River last

summer. Textron AirLand/

Erik Hildebrandt

http://www.combataircraft.net January 2018

06

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