The Air Tractor AT-802 is an American agricultural aircraft that may also be adapted into fire-fighting or armed versions. It first flew in the United States in October 1990 and is manufactured by Air Tractor. The AT-802 carries a chemical hopper between the engine firewall and the cockpit. In the U.S., it is considered a Type III SEAT, or Single Engine Air Tanker.[1]
Development
In its standard configuration, the aircraft utilizes conventional landing gear (two main wheels and a tail wheel). However, a number of aircraft have been converted to the Fire Bossaerial firefighting configuration, which utilizes Wipaire 10000 amphibious floats, so that it can land on a traditional runway or on water. The Fire Boss can scoop water from a lake or river for use on a fire. In addition to the 820 US gallons (3,100 L)[2] standard fuselage-mounted retardant tank, the Fire Boss can have optional 35 US gallons (130 L) foam tanks in the floats.[3] Operations with floats installed have been shown to produce a shorter and narrower retardant drop pattern than wheeled AT-802s.[4]
Armed version
AT-802U prototype at Paris Air Show
In response to the United States Air Force's LAAR program and the growing requirement for light counter-insurgency aircraft,[5] Air Tractor developed an armed model, the AT-802U, in 2008, with engine and cockpit armor, a bulletproof windscreen, self-sealing fuel tanks, and structural reinforcements for the carriage of 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) of payload. A reinforced wing spar was certified for 12,000 hours of flight time,[6] and the AT-802U was displayed in 2009 at the Paris Air Show.[7]
The AT-802 has also been used in counter-drug operations in the USSOUTHCOMAOR by the U.S. Department of State as a delivery vehicle for herbicides and defoliants over narcotics production facilities.
Ten AT-802i were converted by IOMAX USA into an armed configuration with Roketsan Cirit 2.75" rockets and guided bombs[8] for the UAE Air Force. The UAE operated them until November 2015[8] when they were replaced by the first three of 24 Archangels on order from Iomax.[9] The Archangel is based on a similar cropduster airframe, that of the Thrush Model 660,[10] however to create the Archangel the basic Model 660 undergoes a much more extensive rebuild in the course of its militarization. Six of the UAE AT-802i were transferred to the Jordanian Air Force[11] with a further three being transferred to the Yemeni Government Forces where they have been used in the 2015 Yemeni Civil War.[8] Reports place Emirati aircraft in Libya flown by contract pilots.[12]
In January 2017, the US State Department approved a deal for twelve AT-802 aircraft for the Kenya Defence Forces,[13] although as of June 2017 a contract for the proposed sale had not been signed.[14]
On 1 August 2022, United States Special Operations Command indicated they would purchase up to 75 AT-802U Sky Warden aircraft to support special operations forces in fighting irregular wars. Air Tractor will manufacture the airframes and L3Harris will then modify them into the Armed Overwatch mission configuration. The planes are intended to perform armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions at low cost in permissive environments from austere locations, and will allow SOCOM to remove the aging U-28A Draco from combat service. The Sky Warden can deploy guided weapons including the APKWS rocket, GBU-12laser-guided bomb, and Hellfire and Griffin missiles; it has a six-hour loiter time at a 200 nmi (230 mi; 370 km) radius. The initial contract is for $170 million, with a ceiling of $3 billion for purchase of the full fleet. The plan is for five squadrons of 15 planes, one deployed at a time, three undergoing maintenance, and one for training. Initial service entry is expected in 2026, with all delivered and full operating capability reached in 2029.[15][16][17] The AT-802U was given the military designation OA-1K.[18][19]
Variants
The AT-802L Longsword at Paris Air Show 2017A Fire Boss on floats dropping its load
AT-802 – two seat (tandem) cockpit
AT-802A – single-seat cockpit
AT-802U – two seat (tandem) armored military version, modified with sensors and reinforced for weapons carriage[20]
AT-802F or AT-802AF – An aerial firefighting model 802 equipped with the Air Tractor Computerized Firegate[23] designed/developed/serviced by Trotter Controls Inc.[24]
AT-802F Fire Boss – AT-802F equipped with Wipaire amphibious floats for operations from land or water
AT-802L Longsword – An ISR and light-attack aircraft based on AT-802U, which developed by L3 Platform Integration collaboration with Air Tractor.[25] L3 rebranded it as OA-8 Longsword for Asia-Pacific region.[26]
Royal Jordanian Air Force – 6 IOMAX AT-802i Block 1 being upgraded to armed Block 2 standard, of which 1 upgraded aircraft delivered as of January 2018[47][48] and 4 AT-802s supplied by L-3 Corporation and originally intended for Yemen.[49]
General Directorate of Forestry - 3 AT-802 Fire Boss + 3 AT-802A Fire Boss + 1 AT-802F + 1 AT-802AF (A total of 20 aircraft were ordered, with 15 in the Fire Boss configuration and 5 in the land version. As of 2024, 8 aircraft have been delivered, 12 remain to be delivered by 2027.)[56][57]
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