http://www.economist.com/node/17079443
http://www.nation.co.ke/...84928-n4fmyz/index.html


Air Tractor AT- 802L at 5million USD each, we have been haved by tenderpreneurs

Kenya buying 12 of this, we could have done kedo 40 and change

The statement "when you go looking for something, you will find it" comes to mind.

Obviously @shadow came across the article on Nation, formed an hypothesis that tenderprenuers are involved, then went looking for the evidence.

Google landed him on the Economist but common comprehension deserted him at his hour of need

A good purchase to supplement CAS during COIN Ops in ur eastern theater.

http://www.airforce-tech...d-light-attack-aircraft/

Yaani WWI aircraft which were later used to spray farms/crops is what we are buying in 2017 to attack and obliterate Al Shaabab? And for KES. 500M a piece.

Nothing wrong with getting this aircraft. It is suitable for the war in NFD and Somalia.
However, I am not sure of the price we are paying.
We need a breakdown.

I concur.

The Air Tractor is a light aircraft, although used for agriculture, there are military versions used by the US Army.

Its used for light engagements which is what is in Somalia. Surely you dont need a Mig or a F22 - Raptor to fight the shabaab with rocket propelled grenades max range of 500m.

@Intel, have I ever told you I hate you when you are this good?

Sorry for this @ Mahegoat, here we go:

CAS - Close Air Support
Helping ground troops with planes during operations

COIN Ops- Counter-Insurgency Operations
Read anti-guerilla/rebel warfare.

Most Kenyans are fixated at the fact that it was originally an agricultural plane, but forget or ignore to read further that because of its versatility and suitability in all its theaters of operations (S.America esp) the manufacturers then modified it to get a military version.

When you consider the sophisticated electronic warfare avionics suite and PRECISION guided weaponry such as Hellfire missiles it has then you begin to understand that the little mother*ucker packs quite a punch.

Meaning if this plane was hovering at GPO nBI it can launch a precision-guided Hellfire missile at @Impunity's jalopy basking in the sunshine at Belle Vue hapo South C and destroy it.

Alternatively, if it doesn't have missiles then it can 'paint' or illuminate @Impunity's jalopy with an invisible laser beam that another air tractor, jet,chopper, armed drone or such platform hovering at Kenyatta market can 'see' and launch a guided missile at the same jalopy and destroy it in seconds. And they all get to see it on live video feeds. You shoot missiles at the little thing but it has countermeasures such as chaffs to confuse enemy missile. And it can fly usiku na mchana, kwa mvua na kwa jua

If our KDF had this then they the tide of battle would have been much different at El Adde last Jan. It can withstand small arms fire and old soviet guns such as the Zpu-4 Anti-aircraft guns that Al Kefafu has.

Weapon costing includes the supporting infrastructure - personnel, tarining, weapons,etc

See it here with UAE:

https://youtu.be/uahgtOUrAaY[/quote]




Looks can be deceiving. I would swear that the tiny aircraft can be brought down by hand to air projectiles from angry AFC and Gor Mahia fans

Where will that fuel be stored?
The thing doesn't even have the aerial re-fuel mechanism installed!

It looks like a glider, I may not be an aeronautical engineer but my bet is it should glide at almost minimal fuel consumption.

Otherwise since its primary use was for firefighting or crop dusting, it can carry the fuel where it carried water or herbicides/pesticides.