While budgets in Latin America are strained, Textron AirLand is showcasing its SCORPION jet to the Latin American market at FIDAE. Looking to find a launch customer for its multirole aircraft, the twin-seat, twin-engined jet has been developed to suit mission sets including counterinsurgency (COIN), border patrol, maritime surveillance, counter-narcotics, and air defence, in a package set to cost no more than U$20 million to procure and $3,000 per hour to operate, according to news reports.
The SCORPION's six underwing hardpoints, three on each side, can carry additional sensors, fuel, or weapons, such as the Textron G-CLAW and Textron/Thales FURY guided glide munitions, exhibiting a Cobham missile eject launcher.
The SCORPION is a particularly attractive option to this market, not only because of the price, but also because it can perform the majority of tasks that regional air arms usually demand from their combat fleets at a fraction of the procurement, operating, and sustainment costs of more advanced types.
