U-21 UTE

U-21 UTE - The US Army procured the first three King Air 200s, designated the RU-21J, in 1971. The U-21 Ute military version of the Beechcraft King Air A90 aircraft was deployed in a variety of configurations, including the U-21A/D/G, U-21F, and U-21J. The U-21 is an eight-place, fixed-wing aircraft used for troop and command transport, medevac, reconnaissance, and cargo. The U-21 Ute twin turbine, propeller driven utility aircraft has a normal cruise speed of 210 knots and an endurance of over 5 hours flying time. This low-wing utility aircraft has reversing propellers and retractable tricycle landing gear. The Operation Support Airlift (OSA) Command was created in FY 92 and combined Active and Reserve Component OSA operations, began the retirement of non-standard aircraft (T-42, U-8, U-21), and started the modernization of the remaining fleet of C-12, C-20, C-21 and C-26 airplanes. In June 1993 the Chief of Staff Army gave the continental United States (CONUS) OSA mission to the ARNG. The Army aviation's overall goal relative to the fixed wing fleet is to reduce the current number of models from 21 to 4, including procurement of a new C-XX Short Range (SR) to perform missions currently performed by U-21, et al.