Sierra Nevada Defense Corp. (SNC) and subcontractor Embraer [ERJ] recently prevailed over Beechcraft for the Air Force’s Light Air Support (LAS) contract to provide 20 light attack aircraft to Afghanistan’s nascent air force, according to the Defense Department.
SNC will provide both an advanced aircrew trainer and a light air support aircraft (Embraer’s A-29 Super Tucano), according to a DoD statement. The first delivery order, worth $427.4 million, includes the 20 light attack aircraft, one computer based trainer, one basic aviation training device and one flight training device, among others. The maximum value of this contract is $950 million.
“We will deliver a superior product, on-time and on-budget,” SNC Vice President Taco Gilbert said recently in a statement.
Beechcraft had offered its AT-6.
“We are disappointed that our proposal was not chosen,” Beechcraft spokeswoman Nicole Alexander said in a statement. “We will meet with the Air Force for a full debrief of the award and determine our next steps forward at the time.”
Embraer will build the A-29 in Jacksonville, Fla.
SNC was the original winner of the LAS contract before the Air Force canceled it and re-opened the competition, citing documentation issues. A federal judge ruled in October the Air Force acted reasonably due to evidence of bias uncovered in the service’s initial investigative efforts.