Calidus B-250

The Calidus B-250 is a tandem-seat, turboprop, light attack aircraft with counter-insurgency capability. Its structure is constructed entirely of carbon fiber, thus making it much lighter than its competitors. It has 7 hard points for placing weapons as well as EO/IR. It has Pro Line Fusion II avionics systems supplied by the American company Rockwell Collins.

Design and development
The B-250 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. It has an enclosed cockpit with two Martin-Baker ejection seats in tandem. It has a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-68 turboprop in tractor configuration. It was designed and developed in Brazil by Novaer, with mass production to be undertaken by Calidus in the United Arab Emirates. The chief designer for the project was Joseph Kovács who created the Embraer Tucano.

In 2019, 24 aircraft were ordered by the United Arab Emirates Air Force at the 2019 Dubai Airshow.

Intelligence Online revealed that Calidus and Indonesia were working to transform the B-250 aircraft into a state-of-the-art combat drone. The project was discussed with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan by Prabowo Subianto, during his visit to Abu Dhabi in May 2024. Avionics, surveillance and weapons from both nations were to be used for the new drone. Some Indonesia-made components were also to be used to facilitate the drone’s production in Jakarta. Intelligence Online said the drone plane could also be equipped with AI Tariq and Thunder (formerly P3) missiles developed by the EDGE Group.

Operators

 * United Arab Emirates Air Force
 * United Arab Emirates Air Force