Army looking to replace C-12s

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WASHINGTON, April 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army reports it is planning to replace its fleet of C-12 Huron aircraft and a requirements document is being worked on.

The replacement aircraft would be a "Future Fixed Wing Utility Aircraft."

Additional details were unavailable but Col. Brian Tachias, the Army's project manager for fixed-wing aircraft, said once the requirements document gains approval the Army will look at various aircraft for procurement.

"The biggest program that we have got coming up and of course this is going to replace all the Army C-12s, we're looking at putting a program together called the Future Fixed Wing Utility Aircraft," he said.

Tachias made the disclosure at the recent Army Aviation Association of America conference in Nashville.

The C-12 Huron is a twin-engine turboprop based on Beechcraft commercial aircraft. It is used by the service for transporting personnel and cargo, as well as for intelligence and reconnaissance. It can carry 13 passengers, a range of about 2,000 miles and a speed of about 330 miles per hour at an altitude of 15,000 feet.

The Army operates 117 of the aircraft.