Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

American AT-802U installation of modified agricultural aircraft agricultural aircraft weaponry

also on the battlefield? May at first feel incredible. However, if there is an agricultural aircraft, weapons can be mounted on the front, not only can easily complete the task, one hour per flight than the carrier-based fighter aircraft can cost thousands of dollars less, which had attracted the attention of.

U.S. aircraft AT-802U, at the Farnborough Air Show on the attention, and has received orders.

AT-802U is a company in the United States Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft, its agricultural basis of evolved, mainly for the implementation on the ground attack fixed and moving target, as well as surveillance, reconnaissance and other tasks. It this is a low-cost single-engine turboprop aircraft equipped with PT6A-67F engine, captain 10.49 meters, wingspan 18 m, height 3.5 m, payload 3629 kg, cruising speed 300 km/h, range 2963 km, service ceiling of 7620 meters.

since the original machine is designed to use the main crop conservation, forest fire fighting, etc., and therefore has the following characteristics:

compared with fighter jets, turboprop aircraft, as it turns radius is small, low-altitude low-speed maneuverability is good; the driver observed a very wide field of vision, easy-to-ground observation; whole body and airborne system designed to be simple, durable, reliable and can be temporary, and even simple dirt road taking off and landing runways, and can extreme environment of high temperatures and dust flying; fuel loading capacity, excellent fuel economy, cruising can be the target of 10 hours over the implementation of discovery, lock, and attack missions; ground support work is very simple and costs low.

AT-802 of these characteristics, coinciding with the anti-terrorism and other “asymmetric”, “unconventional” the requirements of your operations, so the war on terror even more advantages.

Air Tractor AT-802 major companies to do the following modifications:

installation of weapons, so that with ground attack capability. Aircraft wings and fuselage hanging nine points, and can be extended to 15, can be mounted using a variety of weapons, including two 12.7 mm three Gatling cannon, two rocket launchers, and two Mk-82 bombs.

installation of reconnaissance and surveillance, air-ground data link communications and compact information equipment, and communications to improve situational awareness and command capabilities.

installation of protective equipment, including the cockpit and engine armor, bullet-proof glass cockpit, self-sealing fuel tank and the unit can not fly in someone else’s airspace, but also optional AAR-47/ALE-47 self-defense against the system, to further improve survivability.

In addition, according to need can be equipped with laser-guided munitions, helmet sight, fire control systems, target detection sensors, ground missiles, as well as additional body fuel tanks hang.

AT-802U ability of the U.S. government’s anti-drug operations in South America has been verified.

agricultural aircraft converted into a combat aircraft, to bring a lot of people think: What kind of weapon is the best weapon? It depends on the specific task of fighting and environmental needs. The most advanced weapons is not necessarily the best, only “applicable” is the best.

it also inspired people, the development of weapons technology can not blindly chasing the “most advanced”, but also emphasis on economic considerations. For the old equipment, you can continue to use modern technology to transform them so that “rejuvenated.” “Repair old” not only have economic value, and sometimes the military may get unexpected results.