The Royal Thai Air Drive (RTAF) has taken supply of its first Beechcraft AT-6E Wolverine (N610AT callsign “TEX2”) counter-insurgency (COIN) plane, with the Southeast Asian nation planning to make use of them for coaching and as light-armed plane. They’ll substitute Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainers that equip certainly one of three squadrons with the Royal Thai Air Drive’s flying coaching faculty at Kamphaeng Saen. In 2020, Thailand ordered 12 T-6C coach aircrafts below a $162 million contract. Thailand additionally ordered eight AT-6 Wolverine counter-insurgency plane, signing a $143 million contract with Textron in November 2021. The RTAF is the primary buyer for the sort.
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop plane constructed by Textron Aviation. The T-6A is utilized by the U.S. Air Drive for fundamental pilot coaching and Fight Programs Officer (CSO) coaching, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps for major Naval Aviator coaching, and by the Royal Canadian Air Drive (CT-156 Harvard II designation), Greek Air Drive, Israeli Air Drive (with the “Efroni” nickname), and Iraqi Air Drive for fundamental flight coaching. The T-6B is the first coach for U.S. pupil naval aviators (SNAs). The T-6C is used for coaching by the Mexican Air Drive, Royal Air Drive, Royal Moroccan Air Drive, and the Royal New Zealand Air Drive.
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Photograph by Worapong Gunjina
The AT-6E Wolverine is developed from the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II airframe and designed for mild assault, armed reconnaissance and counterinsurgency missions and might make use of weapons included laser-guided bombs and rockets. The plane was the primary fixed-wing plane to make use of 2.75” laser-guided rockets efficiently. The AT-6 Wolverine can accommodate greater than 66 normal load configurations in addition to its non-standard uneven configurations, which gives essentially the most versatile mission readiness in its class. Two delivered to the U.S. Air Drive for continued testing. In November 2021, eight had been ordered by the Royal Thai Air Drive because the AT-6TH.
The AT-6E has the identical digital cockpit, however upgraded to incorporate datalink and built-in electro-optical sensors together with a number of weapons configurations. Engine energy is elevated to 1,600 shp (1193 kW) with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-68D engine, and the construction is bolstered. Lockheed Martin A-10C mission pc with CMC Esterline glass cockpit and flight administration methods command the AT-6E Wolverine. The AT-6E gives essentially the most highly effective allied-compatible ISR and focusing on suite out there with an L3 Wescam MX-15D multi-sensor suite, which gives coloration and IR cameras, laser designator, laser illuminator and laser rangefinder.
