02/12/2025
The SM-28 Machete was needed day one of the Russo-Ukraine War. The SM-28 is needed today. The SM-28 will be needed in the future and for the next 50 years. The turbofan powered member of the Machete family, the SM-28 is Stavatti’s Close Air Support (CAS) and attack aircraft designed for air-to-ground dominance over the battlefield. More lethal and more survivable than the A-10 Warthog, the reality is that the USA has only 261 A-10s that remain fully operational today. First flown in 1972, the last A-10 rolled off the assembly line in 1984 making the average A-10s in inventory over 42 years old.
With eight external hard points, a 12,000 lb warload, a 30mm Avenger cannon and optional directed energy defense systems the SM-28 can fly farther, faster, slower with greater maneuverability than the A-10. Conceived to replace A-10s, A-7s, A-4s, A-37s and Su-25s, Stavatti is already moving forward with SM-28 development and prototyping and conduct a rapid war emergency-style spiral development program to field the aircraft immediately. A new generation CAS platform if the USA and NATO are serious about fighting future ground wars they need the SM-28 to win. A critical air war asset the SM-28 can be affordable, procured in vast numbers and operate from unprepared forward air strips and Navy carrier decks alike.
The DoD can pre-order the SM-28 Machete today at between $20 and $25 Million depending upon sensors, avionics and ECM configuration making it the most affordable attack aircraft on the planet. Planned for production in single seat, two seat tandem and unpiloted AI/SI autonomous configurations, the SM-28 meets the need of human and machine piloted users alike. Personally as a bomb dropping aircraft, we suggest the human piloted configuration...but to each his own. Contact Stavatti for more details.