T-6B Upgrade Could Be Sold Overseas | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.14.25

Airborne-NextGen-04.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-04.16.25

Airborne-AffordableFliers-04.17.25

SunnFun-DayFour-04.03.25

Mon, May 17, 2004

T-6B Upgrade Could Be Sold Overseas

Raytheon Takes Trainer To Farnborough

Raytheon figures it this way: If it's good enough for the US Air Force and Navy, it's good enough to market overseas. That's why the company is taking it's T-6B Texan II to the Farnborough Air Show in July.

But it's not just any Texan II making the trip. This is an updated version, according to the Wichita Business Journal. It has an all-glass cockpit and can even carry weapons. That, Raytheon hopes, will attract customers like the foreign version of the T-6A never did.

"As of today, we don't have any firm orders for this airplane that we are creating," said Sherry Grady, Raytheon's vice president in charge of government business. "But that's not unusual, that's part of our commercial environment. Kind of, 'if you build it, they will come.'" Grady told the Wichita paper she hopes to eventually sell 500 T-6Bs to foreign governments.

Right now, Raytheon is building 782 T-6As for the US Air Force and Navy. It's a $7 billion contract that runs through at least 2012. Raytheon's international marketing plan for the T-6B centers on cost-effectiveness. "For example, if their tactical fighter is a Eurofighter versus a Joint Strike Fighter versus an F-16, they're going to want a primary trainer that's going to allow them familiarity without going into it (larger aircraft)," Grady told the Business Journal. The obvious cost benefit comes in the difference between the money it takes to operate the T-6B and the money it takes to fly those front-line tactical aircraft.

It's a plan that analysts say just might work. After all, militaries around the world are looking to save money. If they don't have to order up a two-place version of aircraft like the JSF, then that's money in their pockets.

But Raytheon has made that pitch before, with the T-6A. Back when the Texan II was first introduced in 1995, the company hoped it would sell 1500 of them overseas. But those orders were never placed.

Raytheon also faces a tough competitor in the form of the Embraer Super Tucano/ALX, which is not only a trainer in many Latin American countries, but also serves as a light attack aircraft.

But here's where America's huge counter-drug smuggling operations could have a fringe benefit. The US Government pours millions of dollars into Latin America to fight drug trafficking. Spending some of that money on an American-built aircraft as opposed to the Embraer model could be seen as both financially prudent and politically correct. That is, as long as the T-6A or T-6B is unopposed in the air, said Grady.

The T-6B could very well be a light attack airplane. That is also a market that we do look at," she told the Business Journal. "Primarily that's in South American countries, places that want to use it, if you will, for insurgents. I wouldn't want to be flying a T-6 with another airplane shooting back. It's a great little airplane, but it's not that fast."

FMI: www.raytheon.com

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Prelim: PPHU Ekolot KR-030 Topaz

Pilot Stated That He Did Not Recall Any Aspects Of The Accident Sequence On April 8, 2025, about 1308 central daylight time, a PPHU Ekolot KR-030 Topaz light sport airplane, N568RD>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.20.25): Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN)

Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) An ultra-high frequency electronic rho-theta air navigation aid which provides suitably equipped aircraft a continuous indication of bearing and dis>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.20.25)

Aero Linx: Flying Wings of Louisiana Rusty Lavergne is the founder of Flying Wings of Louisiana along with his wife and co-founder, Kelly Lavergne. Rusty is a former Army Blackhawk>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.20.25)

“Despite this development, we strongly encourage WestJet management to work with ALPA pilot representatives to find more practical solutions for attracting and retaining skil>[...]

Airborne 04.21.25: Charter Bust, VeriJet Woes, Visual Approach Risks

Also: Sun Country CEO to Spirit, Indian AF Rafale Jets, Archer-United, Avflight Grows Federal prosecutors recently filed a lawsuit against an uncertified charter flight company and>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC