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עברית (Hebrew)
As part of the lessons learned by the Israeli Air Force from October 7th, the IAF has identified the need to change the approach to force deployment and provide firepower and aerial reconnaissance that is readily available to forces defending the borders during routine and emergency situations, particularly during border breach events.
The Air Force is evaluating three alternatives for light aircraft to address this need – two aircraft for crop dusting or firefighting, and one attack aircraft – the AT-6 Wolverine.
The Air Force is assessing the “SkyWarden” – an aircraft produced by AirTractor in collaboration with L3, and the “ArchAngel” – an aircraft produced by Thrush in partnership with IOMAX. Both of these aircraft are currently in use in the country for crop dusting or firefighting missions.
One of the main and unique advantages of the AT-6 Wolverine is that it features a compressed cockpit with ejection seats, allowing it to operate in the contested frontline environment even under a variety of threats (anti-tank missiles, firearms, anti-aircraft weapons, MANPADs, etc.). Adversaries in every theatre have these weapons, and they have been used against IAF aircraft throughout all the years of conflict.
The AT-6 Wolverine is capable of operating outside and above of the threat zone (“death belt” – 0 to 15,000 feet) and can descend for an attack only after identifying the target. The aircraft is equipped with a pod containing an advanced MX-15D camera, enabling the identification of enemy forces from a high altitude and providing of high-quality intelligence without the need to stay in the threat zone.
The AT-6 Wolverine is also equipped with self-defense systems, including the ALQ-213 system, which integrates the ALE-47 countermeasure system, enabling the deployment of countermeasures based on data from the ALQ-213 system. Additionally, the aircraft can be integrated with the AAR-47 missile warning system.
This combination of defense systems, the ability to fly outside the threat zone, and the ejection capability for both crew members, provides a unique solution that allows the aircraft to perform all missions required by the Air Force without endangering the aircraft and its crew. This is in contrast to its competitors, which can only operate within the “death belt” between 0 to 15,000 feet, with no ejection capability for the crew.
Moreover, the AT-6 Wolverine has superior speed compared to its competitors. While the AT-6 Wolverine can reach speeds of over 300 knots and has excellent maneuverability, its competitors are highly limited, with a maximum speed of less than 200 knots. Therefore, the AT-6 Wolverine has a significant advantage in terms of rapid arrival and interception of airborne threats. The aircraft has demonstrated its ability to intercept Iranian UAVs, such as the Shahed-136 and Shahed-238.
In conclusion, the AT-6 Wolverine provides the right solution for the IDF at this time – for border defense and the interception of unmanned aerial vehicles.
