AHRLAC Holdings Ahrlac

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Ahrlac
300px
Role Reconnaissance/Counter-insurgency
National origin South Africa
Manufacturer AHRLAC Holdings
First flight 26 July 2014
Status Under development
Unit cost
"under $10 million"[1]

The AHRLAC Holdings Ahrlac (Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft) is a light reconnaissance and counter-insurgency aircraft developed in South Africa by AHRLAC Holdings, a joint venture between the Paramount Group and Aerosud. Designed as an inexpensive, more versatile substitute for unmanned aerial vehicles, the aircraft made its first flight on 26 July 2014, with the first public flight display on 13 August 2014 at Wonderboom Airport.

Design and development

Claimed by its designers to be the first fully indigenous military aircraft developed in Africa,[2] and the first South African military aircraft of any sort since the Denel Rooivalk attack helicopter,[3] the Ahrlac features a twin-boom, high-wing, single-pusher-engine configuration, using a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine, with a crew of two seated tandem in Martin-Baker ejection seats. The Ahrlac's airframe uses a mixture of metal and composite construction, and is designed to provide maximum crew visibility.[4] The aircraft is designed to carry an internal 20 mm cannon, with 4 or 6 hardpoints for carrying weapons mounted under the wings, including rocket pods, unguided bombs, and both air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles. The lower fuselage consists of a variety of interchangeable conformal modular units fitted with a variety of sensor systems such as infrared and optical cameras, synthetic aperture radar, electronic intelligence gathering and electronic warfare equipment.[5]

The Ahrlac is intended to compete with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the marketplace; Paramount claims that the aircraft will be cheaper to acquire and operate than UAVs, since it will not need the expensive subsystems required for remote control of unmanned aircraft.[1] It is optimized[citation needed] for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-insurgency missions; coastal patrol, anti-smuggling and disaster relief capabilities are also projected for the type.[6] Its designers state that the aircraft is designed with the needs of First World customers in mind.[1]

In 2011 a full-scale mockup was constructed and a quarter-scale model used for test flights. The price of the aircraft was projected at being under US$10 million per aircraft,[1][7] with the potential market for Ahrlac being described as "in the hundreds or thousands of units".[8]

The first full scale prototype was built using design for manufacture technology, which allows for jigless construction thus saving time and costs.[9] The flight test program started in May 2014 at Wonderboom Airport near Pretoria.[10] The ground test phase was completed in July 2014.[9] The prototype first flew on 26 July 2014.[11]

In March 2016 the US company Boeing announced it was entering a development partnership with Paramount, to produce a militarized version of the Ahrlac, which will be named "Mwari". Boeing will develop an integrated mission system that will enable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and weapons systems.[12]

Specifications

File:AHRLAC 3 view.svg
Three-view of the Ahrlac
File:Aerosud AHRLAC.JPG
AHRLAC model at AAD2012

Data from AW&ST,[4] AHRLAC official site [13]

General characteristics

  • Crew: two (pilot, copilot/observer)
  • Length: 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
  • Wingspan: 11.9 m (39 ft 1 in)
  • Height: 4.0 m (13 ft 1 in)
  • Empty weight: 2,000 kg (4,409 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 3,800 kg (8,378 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 turboprop, 710 kW (950 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 504 km/h (313 mph; 272 kn)
  • Range: 2,130 km (1,324 mi; 1,150 nmi)
  • Endurance: 7–10 hrs
  • Service ceiling: 9,450 m (31,004 ft)
  • Take-off distance: 550 metres (1,800 ft) with full payload

Armament

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 [1] AW&ST, 27 September 2011. "South African Manufacturer Targets Recce, Light Attack Market"
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ [2] "Boeing, Paramount Team Up to Add Weapons to Mwari." AW&ST, 10 March 2016
  13. ↑ [3] AHRLAC Specifications

External links

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