After spending decades and hundreds of billions of dollars to develop the most sophisticated jet fighters the world has ever seen, the Defense Department has decided to go “back to the future” to do a better job of attacking Taliban and al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan without causing more civilian casualties. With Afghani leaders growing angry over indiscriminate air strikes that have wounded or killed hundreds of civilians, the U.S. military is developing an old-fashioned propeller-driven fighter plane, the likes of which hasn’t been used in warfare since the 1960s.

Even with advanced targeting systems and laser-guided bombs, U.S. jet-powered planes flying at top speeds and high altitudes have failed to adequately distinguish civilian from military targets in Afghanistan. Thus, the Navy is testing the “Super Tucano,” modeled after the old Skyraider planes used in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Only the new version is loaded with modern extras: electro-optical and infrared sensors; laser and GPS-guided bombs; rockets; twin .50 caliber machine guns; and encrypted radios. The secret program, dubbed “Imminent Fury,” has produced only one fully-outfitted plane, which is being tested in California and Maryland. If testing is successful, the Navy intends to deploy the planes to support SEAL (Support to the Establishment of the Afghan Legislature) operations in Afghanistan.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Secret Program Works to Field SEAL Plane (by Christian Lowe, Military.com)