| AHRLAC (Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft) | |
|---|---|
| Mockup of the AHRLAC | |
| Role | Reconnaissance/Counter-insurgency |
| National origin | South Africa |
| Manufacturer | AHRLAC Holdings |
| Status | Under development |
| Unit cost | "under $10 million"[1] |
The Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (Ahrlac), is a light reconnaissance and counter-insurgency aircraft developed in South Africa by AHRLAC Holdings, a joint venture between the Paramount Group and Aerosud. Designed as an inexpensive, more versatile substitute for unmanned aerial vehicles, it is expected to make its first flight in 2012.
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Claimed by its designers to be the first fully indigenous fixed-wing military aircraft developed in Africa,[2] and the first indigenous South African military aircraft of any sort since the Denel Rooivalk,[3] the Ahrlac features a twin-boom, high-wing, single-pusher-engine configuration, using a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine, with a crew of two seated in tandem in Martin-Baker ejection seats. The Ahrlac's airframe uses a mixture of metal and composite construction, and is designed to provide maximum visibility for its crew.[4] The aircraft is designed to carry an internal 20 mm cannon, with 4 or 6 hardpoints for carrying weapons mounted under the wings, including rocket pods, unguided bombs, and both air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles. The lower fuselage consists of a variety of interchangable conformal modular units fitted with a variety of sensor systems such as infrared and optical cameras, synthetic aperture radar, electronic intelligence gathering and electronic warfare equipment.[5]
The Ahrlac is intended to compete with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the marketplace; Paramount claims that the aircraft will be cheaper to acquire and operate than UAVs on account of it not requiring the expensive subsystems required for remote control of unmanned aircraft.[1] It is optimised for the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and counter-insurgency missions; coastal patrol, anti-smuggling and disaster relief capabilities are also projected for the type.[6] Its designers state that the aircraft is designed with the needs of First World customers in mind.[1]
As of 2011[update] a full-scale mockup has been constructed and a quarter-scale model has been used for test flights. First flight of the Ahrlac is planned for 2012, with entry into service being possible in mid-2013.[4] The price of the aircraft is projected at being under US$10 million per aircraft,[1][7] with the potential market for Ahrlac being described as "in the hundreds of thousands".[8]
Data from AW&ST,[4] AHRLAC official site [9]
General characteristics
Performance
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