Low, Slow And Dangerous
August 7, 2009
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The U.S. Navy is developing a dedicated close air support aircraft for its SEAL commandos. The Navy has leased an EMB-314 Super Tucano aircraft, and is testing it in desert ranges in California, and at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. It is the culmination of a yearlong project codenamed ‘Imminent Fury.’ This is an effort to provide a low cost aircraft to perform armed intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions. If proven successful, four more aircraft will be bought and sent to Afghanistan.
A two seat, single engine turbo prop, the Super Tucano seems made for the Counter Insurgency (COIN) environment, especially in built up areas where airstrikes have been criticized due to sometimes high civilian casualties. Such controversy fueled a decision not to use airstrikes near villages unless a unit was on the verge of being overrun.
The Super Tucano can fly low and slow, loitering over friendly forces, making precision strikes as needed, unlike Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) which typically cruise at medium-high altitude when utilizing their missiles. Jets remain at a disadvantage due to their speed and time on station. Even the popular A-10 Warthog lacks the ability to loiter for hours unless refueled by tanker.
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August 7, 2009
Article Link
The U.S. Navy is developing a dedicated close air support aircraft for its SEAL commandos. The Navy has leased an EMB-314 Super Tucano aircraft, and is testing it in desert ranges in California, and at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. It is the culmination of a yearlong project codenamed ‘Imminent Fury.’ This is an effort to provide a low cost aircraft to perform armed intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions. If proven successful, four more aircraft will be bought and sent to Afghanistan.
A two seat, single engine turbo prop, the Super Tucano seems made for the Counter Insurgency (COIN) environment, especially in built up areas where airstrikes have been criticized due to sometimes high civilian casualties. Such controversy fueled a decision not to use airstrikes near villages unless a unit was on the verge of being overrun.
The Super Tucano can fly low and slow, loitering over friendly forces, making precision strikes as needed, unlike Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) which typically cruise at medium-high altitude when utilizing their missiles. Jets remain at a disadvantage due to their speed and time on station. Even the popular A-10 Warthog lacks the ability to loiter for hours unless refueled by tanker.
More on link
