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In November 2011, Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.) took TacAir's A-29 Super Tucano for a test flight over Northern Nevada. A highly decorated military leader, Deptula transitioned from the U.S. Air Force in 2010 after more than 34 years of distinguished service. He was the principal attack planner for the Desert Storm coalition air campaign in 1991. He has twice been a Combined/Joint Task Force Commander—in 1998/1999 for Operation Northern Watch where he flew 82 combat missions as a general officer, and for Operation Deep Freeze conducting operations in Antarctica. In 2001, he served as Director of the Combined...

The United States Air Force is facing questions from Hawker Beechcraft Corp. after a recent GAO decision effectively removed them from the running in a bid to build our next generation of light attack aircraft.... Hawker Beechcraft, which has been excluded by the U.S. Air Force from competing for a contract to supply a new light attack aircraft, is fighting mad and fighting back. The Wichita-based manufacturer of business jets and turboprops filed suit yesterday with the Court of Federal Claims following notification that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) declined to review its protest of the Air Force decision, which...

A-29 Super Tucano Wins Air Force Bid for Light Air Support Mission SPARKS, Nev., Dec. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- SIERRA NEVADA CORPORATION and EMBRAER DEFENSE & SECURITY to supply aircraft, training and support to the Light Air Support program. A-29 Super Tucano to be built in Jacksonville, FL; over 70 U.S. companies to supply parts and services Eren Ozmen, President, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), and Luiz Carlos Aguiar, CEO, Embraer Defense and Security (Embraer), today announced that the U.S. Air Force has selected SNC, partnered with Embraer, to supply Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft to be used as...

Why It's No Longer Raining Cocaine in the Dominican Republic By Ezra Fieser / Santo Domingo Drug cartels often drop their product from small planes for it to be picked up by traffickers on land. But sometimes those air deliveries miss their mark — and until recently, errant bundles of cocaine used to fall from the sky into the Dominican Republic's countryside so frequently that one rural cab driver tells TIME they were like "gifts from God," because residents who found them could sell them back to the narcos for a handsome price. "It paid better than any other job,"...

Brazil takes out clandestine airstrip with bombs By the CNN Wire Staff (CNN) -- The Brazilian Air Force on Friday dropped eight 500-pound bombs on a clandestine airstrip in the jungle near the Colombian and Venezuelan borders, part of wide military operation that goes beyond targeting drug traffickers. Video of the scene, released by the air force, showed craters on the destroyed airstrip, which they say was used to move drugs. The highly-publicized effort, dubbed Operation Agatha, is an effort against drug trafficking, illegal mining and logging, and trafficking of wild animals, the military said. "This operation is a first...

The Honorable Michael B. Donley Secretary of the Air Force 1060 Air Force, Pentagon Washington, DC 20330-1670 Dear Mr. Secretary: I am writing to you about an issue of significant importance, the Light Air Support program to supply aircraft and training to the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps as well as support our partner building efforts with other allies. This is of interest to me as I was elected to Congress to protect the American taxpayer and to protect this country’s national interests and security. I served in Afghanistan training afghan officers to take on the responsibility of securing their...

An Historic PR “fumble” in the Super Tucano Vs AT-6 Public Fight By Ed Timperlake May 26, 2011 Currently the U.S. Air Force is engaged in a source selection process to pick a Light Attack Support Aircraft (LAS) for the emerging Afghan National Army Air Corps. The Super Tucano is the only platform with proven combat success in fighting against both the communist FARC guerillas in Colombia and drug kingpins operating across borders in South America. (http://www.sldforum.com/2011/05/all-else-is-rubbish/). The AT-6, the other LAS in consideration, is not yet even certified for ordnance release. So what exactly has been the PR strategy...

Fla. job growth potential harmed by misinformation By MIKE HARIDOPOLOS Created 05/07/2011 - 12:01am The State of Florida continues to work hard to diminish economic impacts resulting from the end of NASA's space shuttle program, particularly devastating to the Space Coast. It is likely that 1,900 Floridians will lose their jobs as the program comes to a close. Florida Senate President The State of Florida continues to work hard to diminish economic impacts resulting from the end of NASA's space shuttle program, particularly devastating to the Space Coast. It is likely that 1,900 Floridians will lose their jobs as the...

Indonesia has reduced its original order of sixteen Brazilian EMB-314 Super Tucano aircraft, to eight. The Indonesian generals wanted sixteen, but the politicians, and budget realities, cut that in half. The Tucanos will replace twelve 1960s era American OV-10s. The two seat, 5.2 ton, single engine turbo prop Super Tucano will be used for COIN (Counter Insurgency) operations. It can fly low and slow, yet still has a 1,000 combat kilometer radius, five hour endurance, 600 kilometers per hour top speed, and a 35,000 foot ceiling. The Super Tucano armament consists of twin 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine guns and nearly...

Indonesia has reduced its original order of sixteen Brazilian EMB-314 Super Tucano aircraft, to eight. The Indonesian generals wanted sixteen, but the politicians, and budget realities, cut that in half. The Tucanos will replace twelve 1960s era American OV-10s. The two seat, 5.2 ton, single engine turbo prop Super Tucano will be used for COIN (Counter Insurgency) operations. It can fly low and slow, yet still has a 1,000 combat kilometer radius, five hour endurance, 600 kilometers per hour top speed, and a 35,000 foot ceiling. The Super Tucano armament consists of twin 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine guns and nearly...

Indonesia orders Super Tucanos for light attack role By Greg Waldron Indonesia plans to buy eight Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano light attack turboprops, and could eventually double its order - the first for the Brazilian type in the Asia-Pacific region. "Air force headquarters has decided to replace our Rockwell OV-10 Broncos with as many as 16 Super Tucanos," says Indonesian air force operational commander Yushan Sayuti, according to a report by the country's official Antara news agency. The first Super Tucanos will arrive in 2012 under the initial order, which also includes ground-support stations and a logistics package. Several other...

Legends of Vietnam: Bronco's Tale One of the most versatile aircraft of the Vietnam War appears on the verge of a comeback. * By William E. Burrows * Air & Space Magazine, March 01, 2010 The U.S. military has been here before:fighting an enemy who wears no uniform, one who hits and runs then disappears, blending in with local villagers. It has pursued before, with overwhelming technological superiority, guerrilla fighters who improvise weapons and use the terrain to hide. The rugged mountains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier, where the Taliban and al Qaeda hide, are as effective at concealment as the...

Britain is having second thoughts about replacing its Harrier VTOL (vertical takeoff) fighter-bomber, with the F-35B, to provide ground support for the troops. While the Harrier can hover, this uses a lot of fuel. So while supporting the troops with firepower, the Harrier operates like a normal jet. In other words, it moves fast. Too fast to catch everything going on down below. This has produced a lot of complaints from the troops, mainly because the British soldiers sometimes receive ground support from slower moving, and far more popular, American A-10s. This got the British to thinking that a slower,...

Security company Blackwater U.S.A. is buying Super Tucano light combat aircraft from the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. These five ton, single engine, single seat aircraft are built for pilot training, but also perform quite well for counter-insurgency work.

Among allies, USAF takes irregular warfare path alone By Stephen Trimble While most of its allies seek to refocus on conventional warfare, the US Air Force may soon spend hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire dozens of light fighters and airlifters uniquely dedicated to counter-insurgency roles. Having spent much of the past decade supporting US-led military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, the major air powers of Europe are looking to recalibrate their fiscal resources and activities more towards conventional operations, say several analysts. "We have invested far too much in [irregular warfare, or IW]. We now have to claw...

Ecuador finalises big Super Tucano order By Stephen Trimble Ecuador has finalised a contract to become the fifth Latin American nation to buy the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano trainer and light attack aircraft. The Brazilian manufacturer on 23 March announced that negotiations over a nine-month-old agreement with the Ecuadorian air force have finally been completed, following reported difficulties with the financing arrangements. The deal covers the supply of 24 turboprop-powered Super Tucanos, with these to replace Ecuador’s ageing fleet of Cessna A-37 strike aircraft, and help re-assert control over the country’s airspace. Last March, Ecuador strongly objected to Colombian air...