Iraq and Morocco deploy T-6 trainers

Posted on 20 July 2010 in Defence

Hawker Beechcraft said at Farnborough Air Show today that it has delivered the first eight Beechcraft T-6A military trainers ordered by the Iraqi air force, with seven more due by year end, and has rolled out the first of 24 T-6C trainers ordered by the Moroccan air force.

Iraq’s initial order for seven of the primary trainers was received in August 2009. An order for eight additional units followed the next month, and first delivery in December. “The T-6A will prepare Iraqi pilots to transition into 21st century aircraft that are considerably more complex than the equipment they previously employed,” says Jim Maslowski, president of US and international government business at Hawker Beechcraft.

In addition to the T-6A aircraft, which are being used for instruction in instrument flight procedures and basic aerial manoeuvres, Hawker Beechcraft is providing Iraq with ground-based training systems, spares, logistics support, maintenance, post-production support and technical publications.

The T-6C, ordered by Morocco, includes a glass cockpit, advanced avionics and hard-point wings that can accommodate auxiliary fuel tanks. The Moroccan air force is replacing T-34 and T-37 trainers with the T-6C.

Along with the aircraft Hawker Beechcraft is providing aircraft ferry services, site survey, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, facility infrastructure support, personnel training and training equipment, and “other related elements of technical and logistics support”.

Hawker Beechcraft is also providing maintenance and support to Iraq’s fleet of King Air 350ER intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aicraft. On 1 July it took up a full contract logistics support role within the Peace Dragon programme, assigning 13 employees to support six sorties out of the New Al-Muthana air base in Baghdad.

Iraq awarded Hawker Beechcraft a contract to provide five ISR and one light transport version of the King Air 350 in March 2007. The turboprops used within the Peace Dragon programme are equipped with heavyweight landing gear, long-range nacelle-mounted fuel tanks and other airframe modifications to support a 1,500lb increase in gross weight. Adding the nacelle fuel tanks provides the King Air 350ER with more than eight hours of endurance and 2,400 nautical miles of range.

At the Farnborough Air Show Hawker Beechraft is showing a special version of its famous texan trainer,the AT-6 which is a fully-armed attack version of the T-6. "The Middle East is one of the markets that could benefit from this platform," the company said.

 The T-6 with teeth - the AT-6 attack aircraft

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