AMD Alarus


The AMD Alarus was produced in two variants, one for general aviation and the other for military use.
The Alarus features Garmin avionics and a cabin.
As of 2011 the aircraft is no longer in production by AMD, although Zenair provides parts support.

Variants

The Alarus was offered in two variants: the AMD Alarus CH2000 general aviation aircraft and the SAMA CH2000 Military Tactical Surveillance Aircraft.

Alarus CH2000

The AMD Alarus CH2000 general aviation aircraft includes the CH 2000 Trainer. It is a single-engine, fixed gear, low wing monoplane of all metal construction. It has two place side by side seating with dual flight controls, and a forty pound baggage capacity.

SAMA CH2000

The SAMA CH2000 is a military surveillance variant of the Alarus. It is equipped with forward-looking infrared – a multi sensor imager offering high performance, precision and high level imaging.
The aircraft is also equipped with state-of-the-art communications systems for secure air-to-air and air-to-ground communications and is equipped for day and night missions. The aircraft is manufactured in Amman, Jordan and Baghdad, Iraq.
The United States Army acquired 8 aircraft at a cost of USD$5.8M for the Iraqi Air Force in 2004, and the first two SAMA CH2000s were delivered on 18 January 2005. The first four CH2000s were used by the 3rd Squadron, based at Kirkuk Air Base, and the others by the 70th Squadron at Basra International Airport. In 2008, following the service entry of the Cessna 208 in the Iraqi Air Force, SAMA CH2000s used by the 3rd Squadron were transferred to the 70th Squadron.

Zenair CH 640

The four seat kit aircraft derivative of the Alarus is the Zenair CH 640.

Operators

The Alarus is used by some flight schools in the United States.
In February 2008 there were 113 CH2000 Alarus registered in the USA and four in Canada.
The first military user of the CH2000 was the Iraqi Air Force, currently operating 8 aircraft.
The Peruvian Air Force will receive six CH2000s built under licence by SEMAN with some custom modifications. The Peruvian version is called the Antarqui.

Military operators