Scorpion to be offered for bid on UK training program

Qinetiq and Thales have selected the Textron Scorpion to offer for a UK live flying training program. Under the ASDOT program the winner will provide Red Air and EW support across the UK training programs. Thales will install new sensors on the aircraft to allow better situational awareness, Qinetiq would provide the pilots and maintenance of the aircraft. The contract is expected in September 2018, with start in 2020.

A consortium of Qinetiq and Thales have chosen Textron Airland’s Scorpion light attack aircraft as the platform for its bid into a major U.K. live flying training program.

The companies want to offer the Scorpion for the U.K. defense ministry’s Air Support to Defense Operational Training (ASDOT) program.

CEOs from the three companies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 11. The ASDOT requirement will see the selected commercial operator deliver red air and electronic warfare (EW) training across the U.K. armed forces, replacing a number of individual contracts with a single umbrella contract with a single operator.

According to the bidders, the contract is expected to be awarded in September 2018, with a service delivery start in January 2020, and could be worth up to GBP1.2 billion (US$1.5 billion) over 15 years.

aviationweek.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Is this going to replace the Hawk then ? Does it also mean it will the new aircraft for the Red Arrows ? Looks kinda weird in a ugly way for an airframe, those blocky wings just look weird

a reply to: Discotech

Not immediately, except for any used for Red Air. The initial part of the contract is only for aircraft to be used for Opposing Force training, similar to the Aggressor Squadrons used by the USAF.