AU-23A Peacemaker

The AU‑23A Peacemaker was a light attack and observation aircraft produced by Fairchild in the early 1970s as a U.S. Army adaptation of the Austrian‑designed S‑230 “Peacemaker” trainer‑utility plane. Fairchild acquired a license to build the type domestically, recognizing a growing need for inexpensive, low‑observation platforms that could support counter‑insurgency missions in Southeast Asia and later in Central America. The first prototype rolled out in 1972, and a limited production run of 28 airframes followed, designated AU‑23A for “Army Utility.”

Key features included a high‑wing configuration for excellent visibility, a robust fixed‑gear undercarriage, and twin Lycoming TIO‑540‑A2A turboprop engines delivering 380 hp each. The airframe could be equipped with a forward‑firing GAU‑12 .50‑caliber gun pod, 2.75‑in rocket launchers, and up to 2,000 lb of ordnance on underwing hardpoints. Simple, analog avionics kept weight and cost low, while the aircraft’s short‑field performance allowed operation from improvised airstrips close to front‑line units.

Although it saw only limited combat service—most notably in Vietnam’s “Operation Ranch Hand” and later in the Honduran drug‑interdiction program—the AU‑23A demonstrated the viability of low‑cost, purpose‑built counter‑insurgency aircraft. Its development underscored a shift in military aviation toward affordable, mission‑specific platforms, influencing later designs such as the Embraer EMB 314 Super Cabeau and the Beechcraft U‑12. The Peacemaker remains a noteworthy case study in adapting civilian‑type airframes for armed roles.