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The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft.
Role Light attack and observation aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer North American Rockwell
First flight 16 July 1965
Introduction October 1969
Retired US (1995)
Status In limited service (2015–present)
Primary users United States Marine Corps (historical)
United States Air Force (historical)
United States Navy (historical)
Philippine Air Force
Produced 1965–1986
Number built 360
The aircraft was initially conceived in the early 1960s through an informal collaboration between W.H. Beckett and Colonel K.P. Rice, U.S. Marine Corps, who met at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, and who also happened to live near each other. The original concept was for a rugged, simple, close air support aircraft integrated with forward ground operations. At the time, the U.S. Army was still experimenting with armed helicopters, and the U.S. Air Force was not interested in close air support.
The concept aircraft was to operate from expedient forward air bases using roads as runways. Speed was to be from very slow to medium subsonic, with much longer loiter times than a pure jet. Efficient turboprop engines would give better performance than piston engines. Weapons were to be mounted on the centerline to get efficient unranged aiming.Take off Distance
MAX RANGE
Aircraft Speed
Max Crew
The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft.
The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft
In May 2015, the Pentagon initiated a secret program dubbed Combat Dragon II. Its purpose: to test the viability of the low-cost, Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco in combat scenarios against ISIS.