Hawker Beechcraft Gets a Good Deal, USAF Gets a New Aircraft

Aircraft manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) announced in a recent press release that the United States Air Force has awarded them a $171 Million contract for for 23 of their brand-new King Air 350ER twin turboprops. This must be a great justification to HBC...it goes to show continued confidence in the King Air and that HBC made the right decision in developing the 350ER.

The 350ER is the latest model in the distinguished King Air line and offers impressive range and payload capabilities. The King Air isn't new to military service. Most of the military services fly them as pilot seasoning and transport aircraft under the designation of C-12. The Army flies reconnaissance versions designated RC-12.

The Air Force Link reports that training for the RC-12 will be conducted by the 186th Air Refueling Wing, a Mississippi Air National Guard unit. According to the Air Force Times, the RC-12 will be an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform.

This announcement seems a bit abrupt. It's been years since the announcement of behemoth projects like the F-22 and F-35, but RC-12 training in Mississippi is supposed to start early next year. It also continues an interesting trend in the military. As already evidenced by the hordes of unmanned aerial vehicles the military has been developing and producing, ISR seems to be of increasing importance to military commanders. Though drones have some advantages, they have the potential to cause a lot of problems for GA pilots...like unwelcome TFRs and safety concerns. I, for one, am glad that the US Air Force has decided to put some people in the aircraft doing this mission. Do you think there's any chance they'll decide they like the RC-12 better than the Predator?