Aircraft
Textron’s Scorpion Tactical Jet Drops Weapons
The private venture still lacks a launch customer, but could fulfill the close air support role in the U.S. Air Force.
The prototype Textron AirLand Scorpion fires a Hellfire missile over the White Sands Missile Range. (Photo: Textron Airland)
The prototype Textron AirLand Scorpion fires a Hellfire missile over the White Sands Missile Range. (Photo: Textron Airland)

Textron Airland reports that the Scorpion has successfully demonstrated close air support capability by dropping three widelyused air-to-surface weapons systems. Three years after it was launched, the company-funded tactical twinjet has still not found a customer, international or domestic. But it has potential to replace the A-10 in the U.S. Air Force, despite that service’s indecision about whether and when such a replacement is required.