Beechcraft Corporation Is Again Formally Protesting The Award

Executives from Embraer say the U.S. Air Force should quickly resolve the challenge made by Beechcraft Corporation over the award to build 20 A-29 Super Tucanos for use in Afghanistan in Jacksonville, FL.

It is the second time the Brazilian planemaker and its U.S. partner, Nevada-based Sierra Nevada Corp., have won the contract. Then-Hawker Beechcraft successfully won the right to re-bid the contract following its first challenge, but Embraer was again chosen to build the planes.

The French news service AFP reports that Embraer vice president Jose Antonio Filippo said in a teleconference Wednesday that "the process was robust and consistent, exactly so as not to leave room for big doubts. We expect this to be resolved in order to begin the project as soon as possible."

Beechcraft says awarding the contract to Embraer and Sierra Nevada Corp. will cost U.S. taxpayers 40 percent more than its competing AT-6 ... which Beechcraft claims is a more capable airplane. They also say that awarding the contract to Embraer will cost American jobs.

But Embraer said at the time the contract was awarded that an important aspect about its approach is the "in-sourcing" of jobs to Jacksonville, FL. "We feel it establishes an exciting future model of bringing high tech aerospace manufacturing jobs back to the United States to stem the recent tide of moving jobs offshore," the company said in a news release. "The A-29 aircraft for the LAS program will be built in Jacksonville, FL.

"The SNC award 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."

FMI: www.af.mil