The U.S. State Department approved an estimated $325.8 million Foreign Military Sale of (4) AT-6C Wolverine Light Attack Aircraft and related equipment to Tunisia, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said. The proposed sale will improve Tunisia’s ability to meet current and future threats by increasing their capability and capacity to counter-terrorism and other violent extremist organization threats. The AT-6 platform will bolster their capability to respond to and engage threats in multiple areas across the country. Tunisia will have no difficulty absorbing this aircraft into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The Government of Tunisia has requested to buy four (4) AT-6C Wolverine Light Attack Aircraft with supporting equipment,including but not limited to 312 MAU-169 computer control groups, 468 MK81 250 LB GP bombs and 3,290 advanced precision kill weapon systems — as well as bomb components and practice bombs. The proposed sale includes gravity and guided munitions, including 468 Mark 81 250-lb bombs, 48 500-lb Mark 82 bombs, Paveway II laser guidance units, 3,290 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser guidance units for 2.75-inch rockets, six .50 calibre machine guns, and six L-3 WESCAM MX 15D Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems.
Potential sale follows October 2019 State Department approval for sale of 12 T-6 Texan trainer aircraft to Tunisia. The prime contractor will be Textron Aviation Defense LLC, Wichita, Kansas. There are no known offset agreements proposed with this potential sale. However, the purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of two (2) U.S. contractor logistics representatives to Tunisia.
AT-6 Wolverine is a new light-attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft designed and manufactured by Beechcraft, a brand of Textron Aviation. The aircraft is based on the industry-proven design of the T-6 series aircraft offered by Beechcraft. The new aircraft is specifically designed to address the light-attack requirements of the armed and air forces across the globe. It can perform manned intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), training,civil support, counter insurgency (COIN), maritime patrol, and internal defence missions. The AT-6 Wolverine featured alongside other aircraft, notably the rival Embraer/Sierra Nevada A-29 Super Tucano in U.S. Air Force light attack experiments, and small numbers of both aircraft were purchased for further testing.
