AHRLAC Holdings Ahrlac

Last updated

Ahrlac / Mwari
AHRLAC Take-off.jpg
The first prototype taking-off for a test flight
Role Reconnaissance/Counter-insurgency
National origin South Africa
Manufacturer Paramount Aerospace Industries
First flight26 July 2014
StatusIn production.
Number built5

The AHRLAC (Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft), also known as Mwari, is a South African light reconnaissance and counter-insurgency aircraft developed by Paramount Aerospace Industries, which started out as a joint venture between the Paramount Group and Aerosud. It is designed to perform as an inexpensive, more versatile substitute for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and modern light attack aircraft.

Contents

On 26 July 2014, the Ahrlac conducted its maiden flight; on 13 August 2014, the aircraft performed its first public flight display at Wonderboom Airport. Both armed and unarmed models of the aircraft are sold, as well as a potential unmanned version.

Development

Origins

In 2009, Paramount Group began working on a new light turboprop-powered counter-insurgency aircraft. [1] The design study examined a fixed-wing aircraft as an affordable platform for both civilian and military applications as an alternative to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). [2] The design of the proposed aircraft drew on the company's prior experience producing helicopters, and several design elements, such as the steep tandem canopy adopted, have been attributed to this source of inspiration; the aircraft is intended to act as a viable alternative for helicopters. [2] It had been conceived as an affordable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and light-strike platform, for which the developers had identified an increasing level of market demand for such an aircraft. [3] Critically, it was recognised that jet-powered aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-25 that were typically being used in this role were often overly-equipped and quite costly to operate in such capacities; thus a strong emphasis on low-cost operations was established early on. [1]

In September 2011, design work on the Ahrlac project was formally initiated. [3] According to its developers, the aircraft has been designed with the needs of First World customers in mind. [4] It has also been claimed by its designers that the Ahrlac is to be the first fully indigenous military aircraft developed in Africa; [5] [3] additionally, it shall be the first South African military aircraft of any sort since the Denel Rooivalk attack helicopter, [6] In 2011, the manufacturer stated that the price of the aircraft was projected at being under US$10 million per aircraft; [4] the potential market for Ahrlac has been described as potentially being "in the hundreds or thousands of units". [7]

According to aviation author Bill Sweetman, the Ahrlac is likely to come at least partially into competition with the Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano and the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II; unlike either of those aircraft, it does not have any trainer heritage and thus is shaped distinctly differently, being more specialised to its low-intensity warfare role. [8] In addition to existing manned products, the Ahrlac is intended to compete with UAVs in the marketplace; Paramount claims that the aircraft will be cheaper to acquire and operate than UAVs since the manned models of the Ahrlac shall not need the expensive subsystems required for the remote control of unmanned aircraft. [4]

In 2011, a full-scale mockup of the Ahrlac was constructed, alongside a quarter-scale flight-capable model that was later used for a total of 80 test flights. [9] The first full-scale prototype, designated as the Experimental Demonstrator (XDM), was completed using design for manufacture technology, which allowed for jigless construction to be performed, thus producing both time and cost savings. [2] [10] Of the aircraft's 6,000 components, 98 per cent had been designed using CATIA software and were domestically manufactured. [3] In May 2014, the flight test program commenced at Wonderboom Airport near Pretoria, the first prototype having been moved there from Aerosud's facility in Centurion, Gauteng. [11] [3] In July 2014, the ground test phase was reportedly completed. [10]

Flight testing

Ahrlac on static display at Waterkloof AFB during the 2014 African Aerospace & Defence airshow Aerosud AHRLAC XDM 'ZU-XDM' (16919770562).jpg
Ahrlac on static display at Waterkloof AFB during the 2014 African Aerospace & Defence airshow

On 26 July 2014, the first Ahrlac prototype conducted its maiden flight from Wonderboom. [12] [8] It was initially deployed on a 20-hour flight test program to contrast computer simulations against data from the prototype's real-world flight performance; during each of these flights, telemetry data was gathered inflight by a specially-equipped Pilatus PC-12 chase plane. [3] The initial prototype is to be used to prove the flight characteristics and performance of the aircraft, while the second prototype, designated as the Advanced Demonstrator (ADM), shall be for testing armaments and mission systems. Advanced flight testing is to be carried out for the Ahrlac's full lifecycle as well. [3] [2]

By February 2015, the first prototype had completed 65 hours of incident-free flying; as a result, the test program proceeded to the next phase, under which the flight envelope was progressively expanded to explore and evaluate its handling, center of gravity, flight performance, airframe qualities, and rough field capabilities. [13] According to Paramount, several prospective customers had shown interest in the aircraft, particularly from the Middle East; the construction of the second prototype was also underway and had been proceeding smoothly so far. The initial prototype is claimed to have "matched all out initial predictions very closely". [13]

By September 2016, the prototype had accumulated 250 flying hours during tests, as well as a total of four deployments to the South African border and to neighbouring Botswana for the purpose of operationally representative trials. [14] An improvised trial flight had also been conducted during an outbreak of civil unrest in South Africa. By September 2016, the developers were in the process of building a new assembly line at Wonderboom, this facility is expected to produce the initial two production aircraft in 2017. [14] The Wonderboom factory is to be capable of producing up to two aircraft per month; it is reportedly readily expandable to double its current size, dependent on customer demand. [14]

Further development

In 2014, the developers revealed that, in addition to the previously-announced crewed model of the Ahrlac, they were also in the process of developing an unmanned variant as well. [1] According to Janes, the unmanned model of the Ahrlac had its origins in the quarter-scale model that had been produced for flight testing purposes, which had revealed favourable tendencies towards such use. [15] By September 2014, a pair of prototype unmanned vehicles, which had received the name "Mwari", had been produced. [15] The Mwari UAV is considerably smaller than the manned Ahrlac counterpart, possessing a reduced flight endurance of only 4 hours along with a sensor turret in the nose. [16] The UAV was renamed "Mwewe", [17] as the Mwari name is used for an armed version of the full scale manned Ahrlac.

In March 2016, American aerospace firm Boeing announced that it had entered into a development partnership with Paramount with the aim of producing a militarized version of the Ahrlac. Under this agreement, Boeing shall develop an integrated mission system that will provide the Ahrlac with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and weapons system capabilities; this equipment is presented as being optional, and some customers may prefer to opt for simpler systems instead. [18] [19] The militarized version of the Ahrlac shall be marketed under the name "Mwari". [15] [19]

In February 2018, an announcement was made that the improved AHRLAC design will be marketed in the USA under the name "Bronco II". [20] In May 2020, BRONCO II, Paramount Group's Americanized variant of the AHRLAC, in partnership with Leidos and Vertex Aerospace, offered the light attack and surveillance aircraft to U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, for its Armed Overwatch program. [21]

Sales

Paramount announced that it had sold a total of nine aircraft to two unnamed countries and that the first would be delivered immediately; the announcement was made at Africa Aerospace and Defence show on 21 September 2022. This marks the first sale of the aircraft and South Africa's first sale of a fixed-wing aircraft in 20 years. [22]

Financial issues and Business Rescue

As of 28 February 2019, the AHRLAC program has been placed into business rescue with the Wonderboom factory being shut down and all 140 employees sent home. [23] In August 2019, a business rescue plan was announced for AHRLAC, with Paramount taking full control of the Aerospace Development Corporation (ADC) and its subsidiaries, according to the proposition. [24] In September 2020, ADC stated that production of the Ahrlac had restarted. [25]

Foreign Sales

The company claims to have made multiple sales of nine aircraft to two unnamed air forces. The first example was delivered on 23 September to an unnamed air force. A total of nine Mwari aircraft are on order. Paramount Aerospace Industries claims that they can build three a year or five if demand requires more aircraft. [26]

In September 2023, the Democratic Republic of Congo ordered "several" aircraft. Mozambique already has some operational. [27]

Design

The Ahrlac features a twin-boom, single-pusher-engine, high-mounted forward-swept wing configuration, giving the aircraft an unconventional external appearance and providing for excellent external visibility. [8] It is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine; it has a top speed of 310 mph, roughly double that of most helicopters and similar to larger military UAVs such as the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, along with a flight endurance of seven hours. [19] It is flown by a crew of two, who are seated in tandem configuration, both being provided with Martin-Baker ejection seats and HOTAS (hands on stick-and-throttle) control functionality. The narrow airframe is composed of a combination of metal and composite construction and is designed to provide maximum crew visibility. [28] [19] The aircraft overall is claimed to be inexpensive and easy to manufacture, AHRLAC's CEO, Dr Paul Potgieter, has contrasted the ease of assembly to that of a Meccano set. [2] The Ahrlac has been designed to be capable of operating from austere runways and rough fields; it also possesses STOL (Short Take Off/Landing) and rapid deployment capabilities. [9] [19] [1]

It has been envisioned that the aircraft shall perform various mission roles, including intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and counter-insurgency missions; coastal patrol, anti-smuggling and disaster relief capabilities are also projected mission profiles. [29] [3] [1] In order for the Ahrlac to effectively engage in the diverse range of missions it is capable of, it features a reconfigurable nose, a large mission bay for avionics beneath the two-person cockpit, and the lower fuselage consists of a variety of interchangeable conformal modular units. [14] [8] These modules allow the aircraft to be outfitted with a variety of sensor systems such as infrared and optical cameras, synthetic aperture radar, electronic intelligence gathering and various electronic warfare packages. [30] [1] Additionally, electro-optical turrets can be installed both on the nose and belly of the aircraft. The avionics employ an open architecture, further adding to the ease of adding, upgrading and swapping components and systems. [14]

The armed Mwari version is designed to carry a single 20 mm cannon, which is internally mounted into the fuselage. [1] [8] Additionally, it is fitted with either four or six hardpoints for carrying weapons mounted under the wings, including rocket pods, unguided bombs, and various air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles. [1] Armour for the aircraft is also modular and can be added or removed entirely dependent on the mission requirements. [1]

Conformal fuel tanks carried underneath the tail booms have also been offered as an option for the type; when equipped with external fuel tanks, the Ahrlac is capable of a 2,000 nm ferry range. [14] Armed Mwari models are presented as being ideal for low-intensity warfare, such as for combat against insurgents and armed criminal elements, as well as patrol work performed by civilian border guard and law enforcement agencies. [19] [1]

Specifications

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

Data from AW&ST, [28] AHRLAC official site [31]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk</span> Unmanned surveillance aircraft

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft introduced in 2001. It was initially designed by Ryan Aeronautical, and known as Tier II+ during development. The RQ-4 provides a broad overview and systematic surveillance using high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors with long loiter times over target areas.

The Denel Dynamics Seeker is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufactured in South Africa by Denel Dynamics. The system is designed to perform tactical reconnaissance in real time and can conduct day and night surveillance in all threat environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout</span> 2000s American unmanned autonomous helicopter developed by Northrop Grumman

The Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout is an unmanned autonomous helicopter developed by Northrop Grumman for use by the United States Armed Forces. The Fire Scout is designed to provide reconnaissance, situational awareness, aerial fire support and precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces. The initial RQ-8A version was based on the Schweizer 330, while the enhanced MQ-8B was derived from the Schweizer 333. The larger MQ-8C Fire Scout variant is based on the Bell 407.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosud</span> Aircraft manufacturer in South Africa

Aerosud is a group of companies with Aerosud Holdings as the parent company. The group is a South African aeronautical engineering and manufacturing company. Aerosud Aerospace was renamed Paramount Aerospace following its acquisition by Paramount Group and Aerosud Innovation and Training Centre (ITC) was incorporated in the AHRLAC Holdings Ahrlac of companies during a 2014 restructuring.

Denel Aeronautics is the aviation and aerospace division of the state-owned Denel corporation of South Africa. It is one of the successors of the South African aviation company Atlas Aircraft Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAE Systems Taranis</span> Prototype British military drone

The BAE Systems Taranis is a British demonstrator programme for unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) technology, under development primarily by the defence contractor BAE Systems Military Air & Information. The aircraft, which is named after the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, first flew in 2013. An unmanned warplane, the Taranis is designed to fly intercontinental missions, and would carry a variety of weapons, enabling it to attack both aerial and ground targets. It uses stealth technology, giving it a low radar profile, and is controllable via satellite link from anywhere on Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TAI Anka</span> Unmanned aerial vehicles

The TAI Anka is a family of unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries primarily for the Turkish Air Force. Envisioned in the early 2000s for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions, Anka has evolved into a modular platform with synthetic-aperture radar, precise weapons and satellite communication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DRDO Nishant</span>

The DRDO Nishant - is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by India's Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a branch of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Armed Forces. The Nishant UAV is primarily tasked with intelligence gathering over enemy territory and also for reconnaissance, training, surveillance, target designation, artillery fire correction, damage assessment, ELINT and SIGINT. The UAV has an endurance of four hours and thirty minutes. Nishant has completed development phase and user trials. However, further development of the project was cancelled after all of the four prototypes and production UAVs crashed due to various and unkown reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing AH-6</span> Type of aircraft

The Boeing AH-6 is a series of light helicopter gunships based on the MH-6 Little Bird and MD 500 family. Developed by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems, these include the Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) demonstrator, the A/MH-6X Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB), and the proposed AH-6I and AH-6S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DRDO Rustom</span> Type of aircraft

The DRDO Rustom is a family of medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the three services, Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, of the Indian Armed Forces. Rustom is derived from the NAL's LCRA developed by a team under the leadership of late Professor Rustom Damania in the 1980s. The UAV will have structural changes and a new engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-altitude platform station</span> Aircraft that provides common satellite services

A high-altitude platform station, also known as atmospheric satellite, is a long endurance, high altitude aircraft able to offer observation or communication services similarly to artificial satellites. Mostly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), they remain aloft through atmospheric lift, either aerodynamic like airplanes, or aerostatic like airships or balloons. High-altitude long endurance (HALE) military drones can fly above 60,000 ft over 32 hours, while civil HAPS are radio stations at an altitude of 20 to 50 km above waypoints, for weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IAI Eitan</span> Israeli unmanned reconnaissance aircraft

The IAI Eitan is an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft developed in Israel in the early 21st century by the Malat division of Israel Aerospace Industries. The aircraft is a newer version of the IAI Heron. Along with intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTR), Israeli IAI Eitan also capable of holding armed roles. There are conflicting reports on whether the exported Eitan's are unarmed or armed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing Phantom Eye</span> Proposed unmanned aerial vehicle

The Boeing Phantom Eye is a high altitude, long endurance (HALE) liquid hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Boeing Phantom Works. The aircraft was Boeing's proposal to meet the demand from the US military for unmanned drones designed to provide advanced intelligence and reconnaissance work, driven by the combat conditions in Afghanistan in particular. In August 2016, the Phantom Eye demonstrator was disassembled for display at the Air Force Flight Test Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAE Systems Demon</span> Experimental unmanned aerial vehicle

The Demon is an experimental unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed and manufactured by British defence conglomerate BAE Systems. It has been referred to as being the world's first "flapless" aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Group</span> Commercial group operating in defence and aerospace

Paramount Group is a Global Aerospace & Defence group of companies operating in the global defence, internal security and peacekeeping industries. Established in South Africa in 1994, it offers a range of military aircraft, armoured vehicles, maritime systems, equipment and training to governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tactical Robotics Cormorant</span> Type of aircraft

The Tactical Robotics Cormorant, formerly AirMule or Mule, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) codename Pereira, is a flying car unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built by Tactical Robotics Ltd., a subsidiary of designer Rafi Yoeli's Urban Aeronautics Ltd., in Yavne, Israel. It will be used in search and rescue operations where it is too dangerous or inaccessible for a helicopter, such as evacuating people from the upper stories of burning buildings, or delivering and extracting police and soldiers while very close to structures, narrow streets, or through holes into confined spaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chengdu WZ-10</span> Unmanned aerial vehicle

The Wing Loong-10 is a series of unmanned aerial vehicles of the High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) type, featuring some stealth characteristics. As of 2017, it is being developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group for reconnaissance and precision strike missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B</span> Russian stealth UAV prototype

The Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B, also referred to as Hunter-B, is a Russian heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that was being developed during the 2010s by Sukhoi and Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG. Several prototypes underwent flight testing in 2019–2023 and, as of January 2024, it was projected that production could begin as early as the second half of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat</span> Future UAV in development by Boeing Australia

The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, previously known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS), is a stealth, multirole, unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is designed as a force multiplier aircraft capable of flying alongside crewed aircraft for support as part of an integrated system including space-based capabilities, and performing autonomous missions independently using artificial intelligence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Overwatch</span> 2021–22 US Special Operations program to purchase new close air support aircraft

The Armed Overwatch program is an effort launched by U.S. Special Operations Command to purchase roughly 75 crewed, fixed-wing aircraft to perform close air support, precision strike, and ISR missions. The Air Tractor-L3Harris AT-802U Sky Warden system was selected to deliver this capability.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Majumdar, Dave. "South Africa's Dirt-Cheap War Machine." The National Interest, 9 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Jeffrey, Colin. "AHRLAC: The first multi-platform military aircraft designed and built in Africa." New Atlas , 15 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Oliver, Daniel. "Paramount's AHRLAC makes its first flight." IHS Jane's Defence Weekly , 13 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Gold, Shabtai (17 October 2011). "Made in, but not necessarily for S Africa". Oman Daily Observer. Muscat, Oman. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  5. ↑ Gotora, Gillian (27 September 2011). "South African arms company unveils first African-made military plane". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. Associated Press. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  6. ↑ Campbell, Keith (27 September 2011). "New South African aircraft design revealed". Engineering News. Johannesburg SA: Creamer Media. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  7. ↑ Engelbrecht, Leon (27 September 2011). "Paramount, Aerosud unveil "revolutionary new aircraft"". Johannesburg SA: DefenceWeb.co.za. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Sweetman, Bill. "South Africa's Ahrlac Is Airborne." Aviation Week, 18 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 Sapa (27 September 2011). "SA aerospace unveils cool new wings". The Times. Johannesburg SA. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  10. 1 2 Moodley, Sashnee (10 July 2014). "Africa's first designed and built aircraft takes to the skies in test phase". Engineeringnews.co.za. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "AHRLAC to start flight testing". Johannesburg SA: DefenceWeb.co.za. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  12. ↑ Martin, Guy (7 August 2014). "AHRLAC flight testing underway". defenceWeb. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Paramount Prepares for Production of AHRLAC." ASD News, 24 February 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Donald, Davis. "South Africa’s AHRLAC Advances Toward Production." AIN Online, 22 September 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 Donald, Davis. "Small but smart UAV s under development." IHS Jane's 360, 19 September 2014.
  16. ↑ Martin, Guy. "Paramount to develop mid-size UAV as it grows unmanned product range." defenceweb.co.za, 7 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Mwewe". paramountgroup.com. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  18. ↑ "Boeing, Paramount Team Up to Add Weapons to Mwari." AW&ST, 10 March 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Atherton, Kelsey D. "Boeing Will Arm South Africa's Weird Plane." Popular Science, 8 March 2016.
  20. ↑ "Bronco Combat Systems Press Release", 22 February 2018
  21. ↑ Joseph Trevithick (4 May 2020). "New Team Pitches South Africa's Bronco II Light Attack Plane To American Special Operators".
  22. ↑ "South Africa's Paramount receives orders for Mwari aircraft". Reuters. 21 September 2022.
  23. ↑ "DefenceWeb - Business rescue for AHRLAC?", 4 March 2019
  24. ↑ Justin Cronjé (30 August 2019). "Ahrlac business rescue plan announced". Defence Web.
  25. ↑ Morrison, Murdo (September 2020). "AHLAC lines up for first deliveries". Flight International . Vol. 197, no. 5749. p. 28. ISSN   0015-3710.
  26. ↑ "Paramount secures nine orders for Mwari aircraft". military.africa. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  27. ↑ Democratic Republic of Congo orders Paramount Group’s Mwari aircraft, Agnese Stracquadanio, Defense News, 2023-09-21
  28. 1 2 "South African Manufacturer Targets Recce, Light Attack Market." AW&ST, 27 September 2011.
  29. ↑ Hoyle, Craig (27 September 2011). "South African firms unveil indigenous light-attack aircraft". Flight Global. Sutton, Surrey. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  30. ↑ "Aerosud Touts New Multi-Role Aircraft". Aero-News Network. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  31. ↑ "90 Specifications". Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011. AHRLAC Specifications
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.