HBC delivers first of five planes to Iraqi air force
BY MOLLY MCMILLIN
The Wichita Eagle
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. delivered the first of five King Air 350ER aircraft to the Iraqi air force last week.
The Wichita-built aircraft will be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the Middle East.
In March, the company announced it had been awarded a $132 million contract by the U.S. Air Force's Aeronautical Systems Center under a foreign military sale for Iraq's air force.
The contract includes five King Air 350ER aircraft and one King Air 350. It also includes the integration of various electronic sensors, communications equipment and survivability systems plus training and logistics support.
The King Airs will provide border surveillance, monitor insurgent activity and patrol critical infrastructure assets, the company said.
Deliveries began in late 2007, and if all options for additional aircraft are exercised, they'll continue into 2010.
The King Air 350ER was developed for special missions. It is a derivative of the King Air 350 and includes heavyweight landing gear, long-range fuel tanks and other modifications that extend the plane's range.
Link
http://www.kansas.com/107/story/268758.html
BY MOLLY MCMILLIN
The Wichita Eagle
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. delivered the first of five King Air 350ER aircraft to the Iraqi air force last week.
The Wichita-built aircraft will be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the Middle East.
In March, the company announced it had been awarded a $132 million contract by the U.S. Air Force's Aeronautical Systems Center under a foreign military sale for Iraq's air force.
The contract includes five King Air 350ER aircraft and one King Air 350. It also includes the integration of various electronic sensors, communications equipment and survivability systems plus training and logistics support.
The King Airs will provide border surveillance, monitor insurgent activity and patrol critical infrastructure assets, the company said.
Deliveries began in late 2007, and if all options for additional aircraft are exercised, they'll continue into 2010.
The King Air 350ER was developed for special missions. It is a derivative of the King Air 350 and includes heavyweight landing gear, long-range fuel tanks and other modifications that extend the plane's range.
Link
http://www.kansas.com/107/story/268758.html