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Combat-proven, low-risk solution offered by Sierra Nevada Corporation and Embraer Defense & Security unbeatable; more than 100 U.S. companies to supply parts for the Florida-built aircraft
SPARKS, Nev. — Eren Ozmen, president of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), announced today that the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has selected SNC and its partner Embraer Defense and Security for its Light Air Support (LAS) program. After a thorough rebidding process, the USAF again deemed the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, and the overall solution offered by SNC, to be the superior choice for this critical mission. The initial $427.5 million delivery order is to supply the USAF with 20 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.
As the aircraft selected for the LAS program, the A-29 Super Tucano will be used to provide light air support, reconnaissance and training capabilities to the Afghanistan military. As such, it is a vital element of the United States’ Afghan withdrawal strategy and central to maintaining security in that region going forward. The LAS program also will provide the United States and other partner nations with important capabilities for agile, flexible, economical, new-generation multi-role airpower.
“The Light Air Support program is essential to the United States’ objectives in Afghanistan and to our national security. It is a great honor to serve our country by providing the aircraft, training and support for this program,” said Taco Gilbert, vice president of Integrated Tactical Solutions for SNC’s Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance business area. “The A-29 Super Tucano with its proven track record is exactly what’s needed for the LAS program where the mission is critical and time is short. We will deliver a superior product, on-time and on-budget.”
“We are glad to provide the U.S. government with the best aircraft for the LAS program and to aid American warfighters and partners with a cost-effective solution,” said Gary Spulak, president of Embraer Aircraft Holding, Inc. “Through this contract with SNC, we will increase our investment in the United States by creating new jobs and supporting American businesses.”
“Congratulations to the Sierra Nevada Corporation and its partner Embraer Defense and Security for being selected by the U.S. Air Force for its Light Air Support program. The program will be built in Jacksonville and bring valuable jobs to Northeast Florida families,” Florida Governor Rick Scott.
The A-29 aircraft for the LAS program will be built in Jacksonville, Fla. With the support of the state of Florida and the Jacksonville Airport Authority, the facility at Jacksonville International Airport already is undergoing modifications necessary to receive the aircraft assembly line, ensuring that production can begin on-schedule.
In all, the LAS contract will support more than 1,400 American jobs, reflecting both the large U.S. supplier base – more than 100 companies will supply parts and services for the A-29 Super Tucano – and new jobs that will be created by SNC and Embraer. Embraer will create new high-tech jobs at its production facility in Jacksonville, adding to the 1,200 people Embraer currently employs in the United States, and new jobs at SNC will add to its U.S. workforce of 2,500 people.
The A-29 Super Tucano is a robust, versatile and powerful turboprop aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of missions, including close air support and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The aircraft is in use with nine air forces around the world and, for more than eight years, has employed state-of-the-art capabilities in operational missions. The Super Tucano is equipped with advanced electronic, electro-optic, infrared and laser system technologies, as well as secure radio systems with data links and unrivalled munitions capacity. This makes it highly reliable and allows for an excellent cost-benefit ratio for a wide range of military missions, even operating from unpaved runways and in hostile environments. These characteristics, along with its well-proven combat record, make it the logical choice for the LAS mission.
Facts about the A-29 Super Tucano:
• A clean sheet design – built from the ground up for the light air support mission
• A production aircraft – more than 190 ordered and more than 170 built and delivered
• Operational today and performing ISR and close air support missions around the globe
• In use with militaries in nine nations: Angola, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Indonesia and Mauritania
• More than 180,000 flight hours logged, including 28,000 combat hours; no combat losses
• Certified for more than 130 munitions configurations
• Features open-architecture avionics
• Provides significant room for growth – the A-29 Super Tucano has the open design architecture required to keep pace with next-generation avionics, communication and weapons systems
• Proven low operating costs – 84 percent fleet availability; 99 percent fleet mission effectiveness
• More than 100 U.S. companies in more than 20 states provide parts or services for the Super Tucano
• In all, the LAS contract will support more than 1,400 American jobs, reflecting both the large U.S. supplier base and new jobs that will be created by SNC and Embraer. Embraer will create new high-tech jobs at its production facility in Jacksonville, adding to the 1,200 people Embraer currently employs in the United States, and new jobs at SNC will add to its U.S. workforce of 2,500 people.
U.S. Air Force Chooses A-29 Super Tucano from Embraer - Laser Focus World
Super Tucano Wins Afghanistan Light Air Support Bid
WASHINGTON — The Afghan military will receive 20 of the A-29 Super Tucano as their new light air support vehicle, the U.S. Defense Department announced.
The Super Tucano, a joint program from U.S. firm Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) and Brazil’s Embraer, has been awarded the contract, beating out competitor Beechcraft and its ATS.
The firm-fixed-price contract is worth $427,459,708, and has a maximum amount $950 million that can be ordered under the contract. Work will be completed by Feb. 26, 2019, and the first delivery order is expected to be complete by April 2015.
In addition to the 20 planes, SNC and Embraer will provide “one computer based trainer, one basic aviation training device, one flight training device, six mission planning stations, six mission debrief systems, long lead spares for interim contractor support, outside the continental United States base activation, site surveys, flight certification to U.S. Air Force military type certification standards, and data.”
“I am confident that the source selection process was disciplined and meticulous, and we are excited to provide a much-needed capability to our Afghan partners,” U.S. Lt. Gen. CR Davis, military deputy with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, wrote in a statement.
The award marks the second time in a year that the A-29 has won this contract. The Air Force picked the plane early last year as its choice for the contract, but were forced to recompete the program after Hawker Beechcraft lodged a formal complaint with the Government Accountability Office and filed a lawsuit in federal court.
The Air Force relaunched the competition last April, although the Super Tucano and the AT-6 were the only competitors. (The relaunching of the contract nullified the lawsuit from Hawker.)
“The Light Air Support program is essential to the United States’ objectives in Afghanistan and to our national security. It is a great honor to serve our country by providing the aircraft, training and support for this program,” Taco Gilbert, vice president of Integrated Tactical Solutions for SNC’s Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance business area, wrote in a statement sent out minutes after the contract was announced.
“The A-29 Super Tucano, with its proven track record, is exactly what’s needed for the LAS program where the mission is critical and time is short. We will deliver a superior product, on-time and on-budget.
“We are glad to provide the U.S. government with the best aircraft for the LAS program and to aid American warfighters and partners in successfully concluding their mission in Afghanistan,” Luiz Carlos Aguiar, president and CEO of Embraer Defense and Security, wrote in the same statement.
“Through this contract with SNC, we will increase our investment in the United States by creating new jobs and supporting American businesses.”
“Although the U.S. Air Force did not select the AT-6 Light Attack Aircraft for the Light Air Support program, Beechcraft is committed to advancing the aircraft’s capabilities and continues to pursue additional close air support opportunities,” Nicole Alexander, Beechcraft spokeswoman, wrote in a statement.
“We are disappointed that our proposal was not chosen. We will meet with the USAF for a full debrief of the award and determine our next steps forward at that time.”
‘A Proven System’
During a recent interview, Gilbert expressed confidence that the Super Tucano would once again win the contract.
“It is a proven system” Gilbert said, citing over 28,000 hours of combat flying time logged across nine countries. “What you see if what you get, and we’re confident we get that low-risk capability. It certainly meets all the requirements that are out there for the LAS program.”
Previous models of the A-29 were built in Brazil, but the planes for the LAS contract will be created at a facility located near Jacksonville International Airport in Jacksonville, Fla. Embraer estimates the new facility will support 100 suppliers across 20 states and result in roughly 1,400 American jobs.
The facility is not designed for this contract alone.
“We see a huge market” for expansion, Gilbert said. “We see great growth potential. As the war on terror continues to spread across the globe, one of the lessons learned is that these 4th and 5th generation fighters are very capable but this isn’t necessarily a great mission for them.”
Gilbert said the companies are prepared to hit the ground running “day one” after winning the contract. “We’re ready right now to start ordering long-lead items and start working the hiring down in Jacksonville,” he said.
A former USAF general, Gilbert stressed that his company was aware of the condensed timetable facing the program, a result of the extra year required to bid the program and by the Obama administration’s decision to remove troops from Afghanistan at an acerbated pace.
“This is just too important, both from the mission they have and for the need to bring Americans home,” Gilbert said. “This program has to be successful.”
Disappointment for Beechcraft
While the Super Tucano team is celebrating, the contract loss hit hard for the competition.
During the period the contract was recompeted, Hawker Beechcraft went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company, now rebranded with just the Beechcraft name, announced its restructuring last week.
Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture said in a recent interview that his company is positioned strongly in the market, even if the LAS deal went to the Embraer/SNC duo.
“We have the financial strength and stability as a result of this restructuring to compete vigorously on competitions like this and we’ll go in search of a launch customer if this [LAS] contract is not the vehicle we can use for that,” Boisture said. “We have an expectation that the future growth and profitability of the company will definitely involve the AT-6.”
He also said the second competition “proceeded with a great deal of urgency, and yet care. Our interactions with the Air Force on this round of competition have been very professional.”
http://www.defensenews.com/article/...Tucano-Wins-Afghanistan-Light-Air-Support-Bid
SPARKS, Nev. — Eren Ozmen, president of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), announced today that the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has selected SNC and its partner Embraer Defense and Security for its Light Air Support (LAS) program. After a thorough rebidding process, the USAF again deemed the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, and the overall solution offered by SNC, to be the superior choice for this critical mission. The initial $427.5 million delivery order is to supply the USAF with 20 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.
As the aircraft selected for the LAS program, the A-29 Super Tucano will be used to provide light air support, reconnaissance and training capabilities to the Afghanistan military. As such, it is a vital element of the United States’ Afghan withdrawal strategy and central to maintaining security in that region going forward. The LAS program also will provide the United States and other partner nations with important capabilities for agile, flexible, economical, new-generation multi-role airpower.
“The Light Air Support program is essential to the United States’ objectives in Afghanistan and to our national security. It is a great honor to serve our country by providing the aircraft, training and support for this program,” said Taco Gilbert, vice president of Integrated Tactical Solutions for SNC’s Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance business area. “The A-29 Super Tucano with its proven track record is exactly what’s needed for the LAS program where the mission is critical and time is short. We will deliver a superior product, on-time and on-budget.”
“We are glad to provide the U.S. government with the best aircraft for the LAS program and to aid American warfighters and partners with a cost-effective solution,” said Gary Spulak, president of Embraer Aircraft Holding, Inc. “Through this contract with SNC, we will increase our investment in the United States by creating new jobs and supporting American businesses.”
“Congratulations to the Sierra Nevada Corporation and its partner Embraer Defense and Security for being selected by the U.S. Air Force for its Light Air Support program. The program will be built in Jacksonville and bring valuable jobs to Northeast Florida families,” Florida Governor Rick Scott.
The A-29 aircraft for the LAS program will be built in Jacksonville, Fla. With the support of the state of Florida and the Jacksonville Airport Authority, the facility at Jacksonville International Airport already is undergoing modifications necessary to receive the aircraft assembly line, ensuring that production can begin on-schedule.
In all, the LAS contract will support more than 1,400 American jobs, reflecting both the large U.S. supplier base – more than 100 companies will supply parts and services for the A-29 Super Tucano – and new jobs that will be created by SNC and Embraer. Embraer will create new high-tech jobs at its production facility in Jacksonville, adding to the 1,200 people Embraer currently employs in the United States, and new jobs at SNC will add to its U.S. workforce of 2,500 people.
The A-29 Super Tucano is a robust, versatile and powerful turboprop aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of missions, including close air support and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The aircraft is in use with nine air forces around the world and, for more than eight years, has employed state-of-the-art capabilities in operational missions. The Super Tucano is equipped with advanced electronic, electro-optic, infrared and laser system technologies, as well as secure radio systems with data links and unrivalled munitions capacity. This makes it highly reliable and allows for an excellent cost-benefit ratio for a wide range of military missions, even operating from unpaved runways and in hostile environments. These characteristics, along with its well-proven combat record, make it the logical choice for the LAS mission.
Facts about the A-29 Super Tucano:
• A clean sheet design – built from the ground up for the light air support mission
• A production aircraft – more than 190 ordered and more than 170 built and delivered
• Operational today and performing ISR and close air support missions around the globe
• In use with militaries in nine nations: Angola, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Indonesia and Mauritania
• More than 180,000 flight hours logged, including 28,000 combat hours; no combat losses
• Certified for more than 130 munitions configurations
• Features open-architecture avionics
• Provides significant room for growth – the A-29 Super Tucano has the open design architecture required to keep pace with next-generation avionics, communication and weapons systems
• Proven low operating costs – 84 percent fleet availability; 99 percent fleet mission effectiveness
• More than 100 U.S. companies in more than 20 states provide parts or services for the Super Tucano
• In all, the LAS contract will support more than 1,400 American jobs, reflecting both the large U.S. supplier base and new jobs that will be created by SNC and Embraer. Embraer will create new high-tech jobs at its production facility in Jacksonville, adding to the 1,200 people Embraer currently employs in the United States, and new jobs at SNC will add to its U.S. workforce of 2,500 people.
U.S. Air Force Chooses A-29 Super Tucano from Embraer - Laser Focus World
Super Tucano Wins Afghanistan Light Air Support Bid
WASHINGTON — The Afghan military will receive 20 of the A-29 Super Tucano as their new light air support vehicle, the U.S. Defense Department announced.
The Super Tucano, a joint program from U.S. firm Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) and Brazil’s Embraer, has been awarded the contract, beating out competitor Beechcraft and its ATS.
The firm-fixed-price contract is worth $427,459,708, and has a maximum amount $950 million that can be ordered under the contract. Work will be completed by Feb. 26, 2019, and the first delivery order is expected to be complete by April 2015.
In addition to the 20 planes, SNC and Embraer will provide “one computer based trainer, one basic aviation training device, one flight training device, six mission planning stations, six mission debrief systems, long lead spares for interim contractor support, outside the continental United States base activation, site surveys, flight certification to U.S. Air Force military type certification standards, and data.”
“I am confident that the source selection process was disciplined and meticulous, and we are excited to provide a much-needed capability to our Afghan partners,” U.S. Lt. Gen. CR Davis, military deputy with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, wrote in a statement.
The award marks the second time in a year that the A-29 has won this contract. The Air Force picked the plane early last year as its choice for the contract, but were forced to recompete the program after Hawker Beechcraft lodged a formal complaint with the Government Accountability Office and filed a lawsuit in federal court.
The Air Force relaunched the competition last April, although the Super Tucano and the AT-6 were the only competitors. (The relaunching of the contract nullified the lawsuit from Hawker.)
“The Light Air Support program is essential to the United States’ objectives in Afghanistan and to our national security. It is a great honor to serve our country by providing the aircraft, training and support for this program,” Taco Gilbert, vice president of Integrated Tactical Solutions for SNC’s Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance business area, wrote in a statement sent out minutes after the contract was announced.
“The A-29 Super Tucano, with its proven track record, is exactly what’s needed for the LAS program where the mission is critical and time is short. We will deliver a superior product, on-time and on-budget.
“We are glad to provide the U.S. government with the best aircraft for the LAS program and to aid American warfighters and partners in successfully concluding their mission in Afghanistan,” Luiz Carlos Aguiar, president and CEO of Embraer Defense and Security, wrote in the same statement.
“Through this contract with SNC, we will increase our investment in the United States by creating new jobs and supporting American businesses.”
“Although the U.S. Air Force did not select the AT-6 Light Attack Aircraft for the Light Air Support program, Beechcraft is committed to advancing the aircraft’s capabilities and continues to pursue additional close air support opportunities,” Nicole Alexander, Beechcraft spokeswoman, wrote in a statement.
“We are disappointed that our proposal was not chosen. We will meet with the USAF for a full debrief of the award and determine our next steps forward at that time.”
‘A Proven System’
During a recent interview, Gilbert expressed confidence that the Super Tucano would once again win the contract.
“It is a proven system” Gilbert said, citing over 28,000 hours of combat flying time logged across nine countries. “What you see if what you get, and we’re confident we get that low-risk capability. It certainly meets all the requirements that are out there for the LAS program.”
Previous models of the A-29 were built in Brazil, but the planes for the LAS contract will be created at a facility located near Jacksonville International Airport in Jacksonville, Fla. Embraer estimates the new facility will support 100 suppliers across 20 states and result in roughly 1,400 American jobs.
The facility is not designed for this contract alone.
“We see a huge market” for expansion, Gilbert said. “We see great growth potential. As the war on terror continues to spread across the globe, one of the lessons learned is that these 4th and 5th generation fighters are very capable but this isn’t necessarily a great mission for them.”
Gilbert said the companies are prepared to hit the ground running “day one” after winning the contract. “We’re ready right now to start ordering long-lead items and start working the hiring down in Jacksonville,” he said.
A former USAF general, Gilbert stressed that his company was aware of the condensed timetable facing the program, a result of the extra year required to bid the program and by the Obama administration’s decision to remove troops from Afghanistan at an acerbated pace.
“This is just too important, both from the mission they have and for the need to bring Americans home,” Gilbert said. “This program has to be successful.”
Disappointment for Beechcraft
While the Super Tucano team is celebrating, the contract loss hit hard for the competition.
During the period the contract was recompeted, Hawker Beechcraft went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company, now rebranded with just the Beechcraft name, announced its restructuring last week.
Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture said in a recent interview that his company is positioned strongly in the market, even if the LAS deal went to the Embraer/SNC duo.
“We have the financial strength and stability as a result of this restructuring to compete vigorously on competitions like this and we’ll go in search of a launch customer if this [LAS] contract is not the vehicle we can use for that,” Boisture said. “We have an expectation that the future growth and profitability of the company will definitely involve the AT-6.”
He also said the second competition “proceeded with a great deal of urgency, and yet care. Our interactions with the Air Force on this round of competition have been very professional.”
http://www.defensenews.com/article/...Tucano-Wins-Afghanistan-Light-Air-Support-Bid
