WICHITA, Kan. - Textron AirLand's new Scorpion jet has completed its first weapons exercise at White Sands Missile Range, while operating from Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB) in New Mexico. The company said that the exercise demonstrated the Scorpion's close air support mission capability through the deployment of three widely-used weapon systems.
The design, integration, and flight test coordination for all three weapon types were achieved in less than three months. The weapons testing program took place earlier this month in coordination with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the 586th Flight Test Squadron from HAFB. The weapon types included the Hydra-70 unguided 2.75-inch rocket, the BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), and the AGM-114F Hellfire missile. The weapons were guided to targets initially using a ground-based laser designator system, and subsequently an airborne laser on the Scorpion's L-3 WESCAM MX-15Di sensor suite.
"The success of the first weapons capability exercise is a major milestone for the Scorpion program as we continue to demonstrate its mission flexibility and multirole capabilities," said Tom Hammoor, senior vice president of defense at Textron Aviation. "We could not be more pleased with the results of this exercise, thanks to the collaboration between our Scorpion team, the NAVSEA organization, and the Holloman Air Force Base."
The initial Scorpion prototype continues its flight test program. Textron AirLand expects to fly the first production-conforming Scorpion soon.
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