United States of Department has announced that the Afghan military will receive 20 of the A-29 Super Tucano as their new light air support vehicle.
The contract has been awarded to the Super Tucano, a joint program from U.S. firm Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) and Brazil’s Embraer, after beating out competitor Beechcraft and its ATS.
According to reports the firm-fixed-price contract is worth $427,459,708, and has a maximum amount $950 million that can be ordered under the contract.
The first delivery of the aircrafts is expected to be completed by April 2015 while the entire work will be completed by February 26, 2019.
Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) in addition to the delivery of 20 planes will also 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.”
This was second time A-29 has won the contract after the Air Force was 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 competition was relanched by Air Force in April last year although Super Tucano and the AT-6 were the only competitors. The Air Force picked the plane early last year as its choice for the contract.
Taco Gilbert, vice president of Integrated Tactical Solutions for SNC’s Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance business area following a statement said, “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.”
“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.
