US Air Force contracts 20 Brazilian Super Tucano fighters for Afghanistan

Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 23:55 UTC

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The propeller driven AT-29 Super Tucano will be built jointly with a US company

The US Air Force has chosen Brazil’s Embraer for a 427 million dollars contract to supply light attack planes to Afghan forces, the company said Thursday, despite competition from an American bid.

Brazilian plane-maker Embraer said 20 of its AT-29 Super Tucano aircraft would be manufactured in Florida in partnership with an American firm, after winning a prolonged competition with US rival Hawker Beechcraft Corp.

US forces are due to withdraw from Afghanistan next year, leaving the Afghan military to continue the fight against Taliban rebels, and Washington is racing to train and equip its lightly-armed allies for the battle ahead.

“The A-29 Super Tucano with its proven track record is exactly what's needed,” said Taco Gilbert, a vice-president of Embraer's US partner in the contract, the Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC)

The propeller-driven Super Tucano comes in single and two-seated versions that can be equipped with a machinegun and a variety of bombs and missiles, in a ground attack or reconnaissance role.

Embraer and Sierra Nevada were initially awarded a 355 million dollars contract for the planes in December 2011, but the US Air Force called off the deal two months later after a legal challenge from rival Hawker Beechcraft.

Categories: Politics, Brazil, Uruguay.

Tags: A-29 Super Tucano, Brazil, Embraer, Hawker Beechcraft, Sierra Nevada, Super Tucano, United States, US Air Force.

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Brasileiro
London Orchestry, USA music, Airplanes Skyhawk........beautiful

One person, all world......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9301ydl20c&list=FLmXPTu1f8AdGlizWNiASx2A&feature=mh_lolz
Mar 01st, 2013 - 01:24 am 0
RedBaron
$ 427 million for 20 planes ?
So that is $ 21m per plane - for a single-engined turboprop trainer that sounds like an awful lot of money, even if it includes parts and support for the next ...? years.
Mar 01st, 2013 - 11:59 am 0
Captain Poppy
They cost about 14 million a piece to produce. Apparently the assholes that run my country have nothing better to spend money on.
Mar 01st, 2013 - 01:40 pm 0

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