Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) recently announced its AT-6 Light Attack aircraft which has successfully employed laser-guided rockets during recent test sorties at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. In January, the AT-6 became the very first fixed-wing aircraft to launch a laser-guided rocket. The weapons testing is part of the ongoing congressionally funded operational evaluation of the AT-6, executed by the Air National Guard and Air Reserve Command Test Center (AATC).

“This is a big milestone in the future of Hawker Beechcraft’s Light Attack programme,” said Derek Hess, HBDC Director, Light Attack. “We continue to see great interest in the AT-6 from military forces around the globe and the capability to employ laserguided rockets is another reason why the aircraft is unmatched in the light attack aircraft market today.”

The 2.75” laser-guided rocket testing included BAE Systems’ advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) and Raytheon’s TALON. The weapons were fired from approximately three nautical miles and guided to their targets using either an airborne laser from the AT-6 or a ground laser from the Eglin AFB range. Both rockets performed flawlessly and were scored as hits on their respective targets.