| Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance program | |
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| An air-to-air view of an OV-10 Bronco aircraft firing a smoke rocket to mark a ground target. The OV-10 is a light attack and reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1960s for a role very similar to the Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR) program. In fact, Boeing is planning to propose a modernized version, the OV-10X, as its submission for the LAAR program. |
The Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR) or Light Air Support (LAS) program has been established to enable the United States Air Force to buy a light ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft.[1] The aircraft should be capable of finding, tracking, and attacking targets either on its own or in support of ground forces. The program formally began in July 2009 with a request for information. No request for proposal has yet been issued. The selected aircraft is expected to enter service in 2013. Approximately 100 aircraft were expected to be ordered, but USAF has reduced the number of aircraft sought to 15 aircraft.[2][3] The new, 15 aircraft program is focused at training pilots, not a combat mission.[4] This program has also been called the OA-X program or the AT-X program, although the reduced scope of the LAAR program has forced the USAF to push an "OA-X" program indefinitely into the future.[5][4]
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The 2009 Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance program was born out of the need for a new close air support aircraft that was suited to the type of combat the United States was facing in post 2003-invasion Iraq and Afghanistan. The close air support role was carried out by several different aircraft, including the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the B-1B Lancer, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the F-15E Strike Eagle. While all of these aircraft are capable of close air support, they were not purpose built for the type of support needed by ground troops in these conflicts, making them an expensive and less effective solution.[5]
For example, these aircraft often do not have the loiter time needed for these missions and require aerial refueling support, making their missions more expensive. Additionally, long loiter missions use up an airframe's service life faster than expected, requiring replacement. This may cause issues in the future as some aircraft, such as the A-10, are out of production and cannot be replaced.[5]
To solve this problem, the United States Air Force released a Request for Information (RFI) on July 27, 2009 requesting details of a possible Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance aircraft that could be outfitted to specific requirements (see Requirements below) and enter into service in 2013.[2]
The Air Force planned to acquire approximately 100 aircraft in the RFI, but has since reduced the initial requirement to 15 aircraft. A more detailed Request for Proposals (RFP) has not been released as of September 2010.[2][3]
In 2011 the House Armed Services Committee moved to block funding for the program until the requirements and acquisition were validated.[6]
In November 2011 it was revealed that the AT-6B had been excluded from the competition by the USAF, leaving the A-29 the probable winner, with a contract expected to be awarded in December 2011.[7]
On December 30, 2011, the USAF announced that the A-29 had been awarded the contract.[8]
The selected LAAR aircraft will have to meet several key requirements, including:
Desired traits (but not requirements) include:
Sources:[2]
The AT-6B is a light attack variant of the T-6 Texan II trainer aircraft used by the United State Air Force, and as such, it was considered to be a favorite for LAAR program, until it was eliminated in November 2011.[9][4][10]
The Embraer Super Tucano is a light attack and reconnaissance aircraft that is already in use by several nations.[11] In fact, the United States Navy has already leased several of the aircraft to evaluate their suitability in support of special operations missions.[12] [4]
Boeing has revealed that they are working on an updated version of their OV-10 Bronco aircraft, currently called the OV-10X for the LAAR competition. The updated Vietnam War-era aircraft is expected to fly by late 2010. [13][14]
The A-67 Dragon is a Counter-insurgency (COIN) Aircraft currently in development and is slated to begin low rate initial production in the 4th quarter of 2010. The A-67 can achieve 11 hours of loiter on target on internal fuel and can achieve air speeds ranging from 85 to 370 knots. [15] [14]
The militarized version of this crop-duster will include up to 11 hardpoints under the wing and body for bombs, rockets, and machine guns. The Air Tractor aircraft is not planned to include an ejection seat or pressurization systems, both of which are mentioned in the Air Force RFI, but the company predicts that their proposal will cost half as much as other competitors.[16]
The M-346 Master is a the only jet-powered aircraft proposed for the competition, developed by the Italian Alenia Aermacchi company. in the competition at the moment and is powered by a pair of Honeywell F124 turbofan engines. The effective range of the aircraft currently is reported to be 1,890 km (1,170 mi) while its armament configuration is centered around nine hardpoints.[17]
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