Textron touts Scorpion to Bulgaria in bid to secure first customer
Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
14 July 2015
At just USD20 million to procure and USD3,000 per hour to operate, the Scorpion is being billed as a cheap yet capable combat aircraft for those operators, such as Bulgaria, that require performance on a budget. Source: Textron AirLand
Textron AirLand has demonstrated the capabilities of its Scorpion aircraft to Bulgaria and others, as it looks to secure a first sale of the type during a post-Paris Air Show tour of Europe, the company disclosed in early July.
The tandem twin-seat and twin-engine jet, which is being touted as a modern, cheap, yet capable multirole platform, is being pitched to Bulgaria as that country looks to update its ageing combat aircraft inventories.
Bulgaria has been reported to be looking at surplus Lockheed Martin
F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to fulfil a
MiG-29 'Fulcrum' and
Sukhoi Su-25 'Frogfoot' replacement requirement, and other offerings such as early model
Eurofighter Typhoons,
Saab Gripens, and even the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (PAC/CAC)
JF-17 Thunder have also been touted.
In the case of the Scorpion, however, it was reported by national defence aerospace publication Списание АЕРО that this particular aircraft is being touted as a possible replacement for the Bulgarian Air Force's Aero L-39ZA Albatros light strike fighters, and as a support platform to the 'new' main fighter type.
First revealed in September 2013, the Scorpion jet has been developed to suit a wide range of mission sets that include counterinsurgency, border patrol, maritime surveillance, counter-narcotics, and air defence. The aircraft is built around a 2.3 m 3payload bay in the centre of its fuselage that can accept a variety of sensors and weapons systems, depending on the mission, up to 1,360 kg, and has six underwing hardpoints - three on each side - to carry additional sensors, fuel, or weapons up to 2,766 kg. Company-supplied performance specifications give the Scorpion a top speed of 450 kt, a service ceiling of 45,000 ft, and a ferry range of 4,450 km.
At USD20 million to procure and just USD3,000 per hour to operate, the Scorpion is significantly cheaper to both buy and field than just about any of its jet rivals (only advanced jet trainer aircraft that have a secondary light strike capability come close in terms of cost). This would make it an especially appealing option for Bulgaria, which has the need but not necessarily the budget.
As well as Bulgaria, Textron revealed ahead of the Scorpion's planned appearance at the UK's Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in mid-July that it has demonstrated the aircraft to the UK Royal Navy also. As well, it was reported to have visited the Royal Air Force's officer training college at Cranwell and QinetiQ's Empire Test Pilots' School at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire. No further details were disclosed.
Speaking to
IHS Jane's during the Paris Air Show in June, Textron AirLand president Bill Anderson said that a production-standard version of the Scorpion will fly in 2016, just two years after the type was first rolled out.
