Butler National Corporation, a leading manufacturer and provider of support systems for commercial and military aircraft and a recognized provider of management services in diverse business groups including the gaming industry, announces that its subsidiary, Avcon Industries, Inc., has received Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") approval of the addition of internal under wing mounting hardware for external stores, also known as hardpoints, on the Lear Model 60.

The FAA Supplemental Type Certificate ("STC") approval, STC Number ST01783WE, allows the mounting of the provisions for external stores in the wing of the Learjet Model 60, among other Learjet models. 

Mr. Clark Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Butler National Corporation said, "We are pleased to complete work on the initial Special Mission STC. We are reviewing the various options for using the Learjet Model 60 as a Special Mission Aircraft. The Learjet 60 features one of the most robust business aviation wing designs, the Learjet 'Longhorn Wing'. Avcon has received multiple customer requests to develop the Learjet 60 as a suitable platform for the Special Mission work known as ISR – Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. ISR equipment may include provisions for sensors in electronic pods like ELINT (Electronic Intelligence, SIGINT (Signals Intelligence), integrated SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar)/GMTI (Ground Moving Target Indicator), forward looking EO/IR (Electro Optical Infra-Red), small surveillance radar sensors, ECM (Electronic Countermeasures) and various types of target towing equipment (reeling machines with target towing capabilities)."

"We are interested in potential customer feedback as we move forward with our evaluations of the Learjet 60 ISR/Special Mission options. We invite all interested customers to contact Aric Peters, Avcon Special Mission Customer Support/Marketing Director, at 913-780-9595 with any particular features or functionality that may be desired or should be considered in the go-forward evaluations," added Mr. Stewart.