WICHITA, KAN. — Textron AirLand, LLC, a joint venture between Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) and AirLand Enterprises, LLC, today announced that its Scorpion aircraft will be featured at four upcoming defense industry events. “Since the first flight in 2013, we have briefed U.S. and foreign militaries on the affordability and broad capabilities of Scorpion. The aircraft’s performance continues to exceed our expectations, having just achieved our 45,000 maximum altitude target with 225 hour flight hours completed– that’s a message we’ll be sharing with representatives of many countries in the weeks ahead,” said Textron AirLand president Bill Anderson.
WEPTAC – Tucson, Arizona, October 20-21
Warfighters from throughout the U.S. will be gathering for the annual Weapons and Tactics conference Oct. 20-21 at the Tucson International Airport, home of the conference hosts Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center, the 162nd Fighter Wing, and the 355th Fighter Wing. Scorpion will be on static display during WEPTAC on October 20-21 from 1500-2100 at the Million Air FBO in Tucson. Scorpion will fly approximately 750 nautical miles from its home base in Wichita to Tucson, which will be the aircraft’s first appearance in the Western U.S. Several wing-mounted mock munitions will be shown, representing a typical array of air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons preferred by the U.S. and partner nations. The display is open to WEPTAC attendees only.
Next Generation ISR Conference – San Diego, California, October 21-24
This conference brings together the key government and industry experts who are shaping the direction of ISR today and in the future. Textron AirLand will present on factors shaping the future of aerial ISR, and how the Scorpion ISR/Strike jet has been designed to meet those rapidly evolving requirements. The two-day general session will assemble the key organizations and leading experts that are shaping the direction of ISR current requirements and exposing the many future capabilities for the services and public service sectors. The services’ ever increasing roles for ISR assets are permeating across a very broad range of critical missions, including but not limited to: Persistent Global Surveillance & Global Strike, Counter-intelligence & Counter-terrorism, Maritime Domain Awareness, Space Defense, Anti-Access and Contested Global Commons.
ExpoDefensa 2014 – Bogota, Colombia, October 29-31
Colombia’s Ministry of National Defense will host the fourth version of ExpoDefensa, a specialized exhibition for the countries of the Andean, Central American and Caribbean region, highlighting technological development and innovation for defense and security. Textron AirLand will be displaying a scale model of Scorpion in an exhibit hosted by its representatives. The event is expected to attract several thousand members of the Colombian government and defense sector, official delegates and national and international visitors.
International Fighter Conference – London, United Kingdom, November 18-20
The 14th Annual International Fighter conference takes place in London from November 18-20, with the theme of “Rethinking Fighter Capabilities to Meet the New Threat.” Textron AirLand and Beechcraft Defense Company representatives will present in special sessions, focusing on the future direction of aerial ISR and the need for manned aircraft that provide multi-spectral ISR and light strike capabilities within a versatile, multi-mission platform. The 2014 International Fighter conference features the most senior line-up of speakers yet, including numerous senior officers from U.S. and foreign military branches. This year’s event expands the focus on Naval Aviation and Carrier Enabled Power Projection. Issues under discussion will also include the reliance on space assets, cyber security, advanced fighter radar technology, and the limitations of stealth.
Scorpion will be highlighted during an industry panel discussion about the evolving role of “Light Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft” and in a session on the “Strategic Vision of the International Fighter Market as Seen by Industry Leaders,” plus a session on “The Rapid Prototyping of the Scorpion.”