The Air Tractor AT-802 is an agricultural aircraft that may also be adapted into fire-fighting or armed versions. It first flew in the United States in October 1990 and is manufactured by Air Tractor Inc. The AT-802 carries a chemical hopper between the engine firewall and the cockpit. In the U.S., it is considered a Type III SEAT, or Single Engine Air Tanker.
Development
In its standard configuration, the aircraft utilizes conventional landing gear. However, a number of aircraft have been converted to the Fire Bossaerial firefighting configuration, which utilizes Wipaire 10000 amphibious floats, so that it can land on a traditional runway or on water. The Fire Boss can scoop water from a lake or river for use on a fire. In addition to the standard fuselage-mounted retardant tank, the Fire Boss can have optional foam tanks in the floats. Operations with floats installed have been shown to produce a shorter and narrower retardant drop pattern than wheeled AT-802s.
Armed version
In response to the United States Air Force's LAAR program and the growing requirement for light counter-insurgency aircraft, Air Tractor developed an armed model, the AT-802U, in 2008, with engine and cockpit armor, a bulletproof windscreen, self-sealing fuel tanks, and structural reinforcements for the carriage of of payload. A reinforced wing spar was certified for 12,000 hours of flight time, and the AT-802U was displayed in 2009 at the Paris Air Show. The AT-802 has also been used in counter-drug operations in the USSOUTHCOMAOR by the U.S. Department of State as a delivery vehicle for herbicides and defoliants over narcotics production facilities. Ten AT-802i were converted by IOMAX USA into an armed configuration with Roketsan Cirit 2.75" rockets and guided bombs for the UAE Air Force. The UAE operated them until November 2015 when they were replaced by the first three of 24 Archangels on order from Iomax. The Archangel is based on a similar cropduster airframe, that of the Thrush Model 660, however to create the Archangel the basic Model 660 undergoes a much more extensive rebuild in the course of its militarization. Six of the UAE AT-802i were transferred to the Jordanian Air Force. with a further three being transferred to the Yemeni Government Forces where they have been used in the 2015 Yemeni Civil War. Reports place Emirati aircraft in Libya flown by contract pilots. In January 2017, the US State Department approved a deal for twelve AT-802 aircraft for the Kenya Defence Forces, although as of June 2017 a contract for the proposed sale had not been signed.
' - two seat armored military version, modified with sensors and reinforced for weapons carriage
' or AT-802AF - An aerial firefighting model 802 equipped with the Air Tractor Computerized Firegate designed/developed/serviced by Trotter Controls Inc.
*Fire Boss - AT-802F equipped with Wipaire amphibious floats for operations from land or water
- An ISR and light-attack aircraft based on AT-802U, which developed by L3 Platform Integration collaboration with Air Tractor. L3 rebranded it as OA-8 Longsword for Asia-Pacific region.
National System of Disaster and Risk Management - 2 AT-802
Croatian Air Force - 5 AT-802A Fire Boss + 1 AT-802F as of November 2014
Egyptian Air Force - 12 AT-802U
Military of Gambia
Israeli Air Force - 14 AT-802F, purchased second-hand from Spain 1 crashed due to mechanical malfunction.
Protezione Civile - 10 AT-802A Fire Boss
Royal Jordanian Air Force - 6 IOMAX AT-802i Block 1 being upgraded to armed Block 2 standard, of which 1 upgraded aircraft delivered as of January 2018 and 4 AT-802s supplied by L-3 Corporation and originally intended for Yemen.
Police of Montenegro - 1 AT-802 + 3 AT-802A
Protection and Rescue Directorate of Macedonia - 3 AT-802A Fire Boss
Kenya Defence Forces — Received US authorization to purchase 12 AT-802Ls in 2017, however missed two deadlines to enter into agreement as of February 2018.
