In a Defense Department world where multi-million-dollar contracts for aircraft will likely first net you long waits, missed deadlines and demands for millions more bucks before a plane appears on the horizon, the Air Forces latest counter-intelligence aircraft is an anomaly.
From the time the Air Force contracted for its first order of MC-12W Libertys until one was flying a mission over Afghanistan was just eight months, says Lionel G. Smith, director, Strategic Development Special Programs for L3 Communications.
Thats the power of modifying an existing aircraft, in this case the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 long a fav plane of the well-to-do. Those ordered by the Air Force, however, swap luxury accommodations for sophisticated ISR technology.
It costs about $7 million [per plane] from Hawker Beechcraft, and about $10 million in modifications. From contract to combat was about eight months, Smith said Sept. 15 at the Air Force Association’s Air & Space Symposium in Maryland. L3s integrated systems division manages the modifications.
The plane, with a crew of four pilot, co-pilot, signals intel systems operator and full-system video operator flew its first mission from Balad Air Base, Iraq, in June. Of 300 missions flown to date it has a mission capable rate of 98 percent, Smith said.
The MC-12W is a response to Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ call for increased ISR support for ground combat troops, Smith said. The Air Force plans to field a fleet of 38 Libertys, most of them built into the ER, or extended range, version of the Hawker Beechcraft plane.
– Bryant Jordan
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Put some 25mm cannon and Hellfire missiles on that bird and it’ll be perfect.
> That
While I love the fact that it’s cheap and got the product out the door quick. What makes this product better than a drone? What can this aircraft do that drones can’t? Keeping in mind that you can get almost 4 MQ-1 Predators for the same cost as one of these.
OK…now do the same trick with the tanker. Buy something big that will fly with a bladder. Yeah, I know, it’s more complicated.
Cenobyte
The MC-12Ws perform a different mission than the Predators. This aircraft is primarily a signals intercept A/C with an additional video surveillance capability. The Perdators are primarily video surveillance/targeting platforms. While the Army is currently examining the use of UAVs for SIGINT use, that capability has not yet matured to deployment.
Additionally, The MC-12Ws signal packages would probably be sometihng of a problem fitting into the airframe dimensions and allowable payload weight
Pardon my ignorance. What does ISR stand for?
This small plane if flew higher attitude it’s very difficult to see it. [t’e may can catch video on the grond image clearly. it’s desired for. it’s may contend the best of the best radar camera.
This small plane if flew higher attitude it’s very difficult to see it. [t’e may can catch video on the grond image clearly. it’s desired for. it’s may contend the best of the best radar camera.
I am excited for this plane for the help it will offer our troops in this new environment. As well as the movies that will sooner or later trickle out about these pilots ala “Flight Of The Intruder”.
To answer bdwilcox question, yes this aircraft has been under develoment for mor than six years. The MC-12W “Project Liberty” is a Air Force version of the US Army C-12R Aerial Reconnaissance Multi-Sensor (ARMS), also know as “Horned OwL”. The ARMS aircraft is one of the main systems involved with the US Army Task Force ODIN (Observe, Detect, Identify, and Neutralize).
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=12463
The ARMS aircraft was an updated copy of the Armys Proto-type C-12D MARSS-II (Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System) that I helped design back in 2003. It was built in an old, retired (piece of crap) US Army C-12D. It was a secret aircraft till a couple of years ago.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Telfords-Dash-7s-to-Supplement-Military-Surveillance-04947/
These aircraft are esentially manned predetors. They have many of the same systmes in common, especially the General Atomics APY-8 SAR radar and its associated CLAW sensor integration system. It does lack the targeting capability that the predetor has, but still fills a very usefull purpose. They include the SIGINT Capability, up to four Sensor operators (Predetor has 1) and it can be used beyond ISR and operate as CSI ptatform in battle as well. There is a need for ISR aircraft beyond just predetors. The Military has a tiered approach that starts at the top with E-8 J-STARS, EO-5 Crazy Hawk (RC-7B, Dash-7), C-12/C-23 (project liberty, ARMS, MARSS, Constant Hawk) and then the predator and other drones.
SO basically from my reading, the MC-12W is essentially a brand new production version of the C-12R ARMS and C-12 MARSS-II that instead were bult using old retired Army C-12′s.
bdwilcox
One possibility in the fast deployment of this A/C varient could be that it isn’t far removed for the Army’s GUARDRAIL RC-12 series. The Army MI aviation has been flying SIGINT missions wiht this basic airframe for about 30 years
This new module airplane from defense department,
it’s flew super fast speed and it contained brand new technology equipment.if it flew higher lattitude it’s very hard to see it; but it can
take pictutre from the ground fast and clear.
Good job Big Safari. Now, how about helping out the Indian Government and all the other land based Allies who are stuck with buying E-2D’s. Offer them an EC-130V with the E-2D Radar and Weapons system, combined with a communications system comparable to the original EC-130V. You would have an aircraft that outperforms the E-2D for less cost, flies 14 hours on a tank of gas, could be refuelable, lands anywhere, has a sleeping module, and carries it’s own cargo (spares-food-etc). Why sell expensive carrier technology to countries without carriers when they could have much enhanced performance for less dollars? Makes sense for the Navy also – no reason to tie their AWACS to the ship.
EC-130 does strike me as a good idea. You could probably stick some drogue pods on the wingtips and drag some fighters along for the ride as well.