08-29-2007, 11:41
|
#1
|
|
Guerrilla
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Italy
Posts: 152
|
Fixed Wing Support for Blackwater.
Of Course "bombers" is a big word, and yet...
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/hta.../20070827.aspx
Blackwater Buys Brazilian Bombers
August 27, 2007: Security company Blackwater U.S.A. is buying Super Tucano light combat aircraft from the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. These five ton, single engine, single seat aircraft are built for pilot training, but also perform quite well for counter-insurgency work. Brazil. The Super Tucano is basically a prop driven trainer that is equipped for combat missions. The aircraft can carry up to 1.5 tons of weapons, including 12.7mm machine-guns, bombs and missiles. The aircraft cruises at about 500 kilometers an hour and can stay in the air for about 6.5 hours per sortie. One of the options is a FLIR (infrared radar that produces a photo realistic video image in any weather) and a fire control system for bombing. Colombia is using the Super Tucanos for counter-insurgency work (there are over 20,000 armed rebels and drug gang gunmen in the country). The aircraft is also used for border patrol. The U.S. Air Force is watching that quite closely. The Super Tucano costs $9 million each, and come in one or two seat versions. The bubble canopy provides excellent visibility. This, coupled with its slow speed (versus jets), makes it an excellent ground attack aircraft.
Blackwater already has a force of armed helicopters in Iraq, and apparently wants something a little faster, and more heavily armed, to fulfill its security contracts overseas. Initially, Blackwater is getting one two-seater, for pilot training in the United States.
The Super Tucano aircraft.
|
|
The antihero is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 12:15
|
#2
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Sneaking back and forth across the Border
Posts: 6,693
|
Peru also had them for Drug Plane interdiction. Not a bad air frame.
|
|
SF_BHT is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 12:18
|
#3
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,827
|
It is a training and aerobatic plane.
When I was working in Paraguay, I got my boss, a USAF Colonel who was a C-141 driver a check ride in one, I think he injured himself grinning. It was a week or more before the smile wore off. He kept saying something about the fact that it gained 1000' in a loop.
Agreed, not really an attack plane or a bomber, in the modern version of the word, though seeing the Russian AF Bears up again was pretty funny as well. Maybe we should put some guns on C-130s for intercepting and taking them down. 
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
|
|
The Reaper is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 12:48
|
#4
|
|
Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 3,045
|
Okay, I'm lacking in common sense today so I'll ask the obvious question.
What does Blackwater need with fixed-wing support aircraft?
__________________
"Are you listening or just waiting to talk?"
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
"Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing."
Optimus Prime
|
|
Kyobanim is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 13:02
|
#5
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,827
|
Eric Prince, the owner of BW, has a thing for planes, and owns quite a few already.
Maybe he is starting his BW AF to go with the BW Army.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
|
|
The Reaper is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 15:14
|
#6
|
|
Guerrilla
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Italy
Posts: 152
|
Makes you wonder though if they are smelling some juicy new contract, some new deployment somewhere, and muscling up for it.
|
|
The antihero is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 16:13
|
#7
|
|
Guerrilla
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 462
|
This is more likely for armed ISR than dedicated ground attack (not that the same airframe can't do both). The ISR portion is probably a necessary capability if Blackwater is really serious about doing independent, brigade-sized peacekeeping operations.
Last edited by x-factor; 08-29-2007 at 16:28.
|
|
x-factor is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 17:16
|
#8
|
|
SF Candidate
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NoVA
Posts: 3
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by x-factor
This is more likely for armed ISR than dedicated ground attack (not that the same airframe can't do both). The ISR portion is probably a necessary capability if Blackwater is really serious about doing independent, brigade-sized peacekeeping operations.
|
That platform would do the job. However, IMO based on it's size and capacity (single eng/single seat) BW would then need to think about the logistics involved in getting the info to "ground personnel". A Guardrail, or OWL/Highlighter bird would be more efficient.
Last edited by POO; 08-30-2007 at 05:14.
|
|
POO is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 18:02
|
#9
|
|
Area Commander
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Raeford, NC
Posts: 3,374
|
I don't know what the contract calls for but BW recently was awarded the contract for WPPS Aviation Task order 10.
__________________
D-3129 Life
"If one day you decide to know yourself...you'll have to choose the warrior path...You'll reach the darkness of your spirit.... Then, if you overcome your fears....You will know who you are."
"De Oppresso Liber"
|
|
Snaquebite is offline
|
|
|
08-29-2007, 18:59
|
#10
|
|
Guest
|
I was just getting ready to ask "where are all of the AT-37's we gave them?" Then I saw on their web site that this aircraft is a "replacement" for their aging AT-37's. For COIN I would think the OV-10 would do a better job.
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:56.
|
|
|
Linear Mode
