Fixed Wing Support for Blackwater.

[The antihero]

Of Course "bombers" is a big word, and yet...

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20070827.aspx

Blackwater Buys Brazilian Bombers

August 27, 2007: 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. Brazil. The Super Tucano is basically a prop driven trainer that is equipped for combat missions. The aircraft can carry up to 1.5 tons of weapons, including 12.7mm machine-guns, bombs and missiles. The aircraft cruises at about 500 kilometers an hour and can stay in the air for about 6.5 hours per sortie. One of the options is a FLIR (infrared radar that produces a photo realistic video image in any weather) and a fire control system for bombing. Colombia is using the Super Tucanos for counter-insurgency work (there are over 20,000 armed rebels and drug gang gunmen in the country). The aircraft is also used for border patrol. The U.S. Air Force is watching that quite closely. The Super Tucano costs $9 million each, and come in one or two seat versions. The bubble canopy provides excellent visibility. This, coupled with its slow speed (versus jets), makes it an excellent ground attack aircraft.

Blackwater already has a force of armed helicopters in Iraq, and apparently wants something a little faster, and more heavily armed, to fulfill its security contracts overseas. Initially, Blackwater is getting one two-seater, for pilot training in the United States.

The Super Tucano aircraft (http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/super_tucano/).

[SF_BHT]

Peru also had them for Drug Plane interdiction. Not a bad air frame.

[The Reaper]

It is a training and aerobatic plane.

When I was working in Paraguay, I got my boss, a USAF Colonel who was a C-141 driver a check ride in one, I think he injured himself grinning. It was a week or more before the smile wore off. He kept saying something about the fact that it gained 1000' in a loop.

Agreed, not really an attack plane or a bomber, in the modern version of the word, though seeing the Russian AF Bears up again was pretty funny as well. Maybe we should put some guns on C-130s for intercepting and taking them down.:rolleyes:

TR

[Kyobanim]

Okay, I'm lacking in common sense today so I'll ask the obvious question.

What does Blackwater need with fixed-wing support aircraft?

[The Reaper]

Eric Prince, the owner of BW, has a thing for planes, and owns quite a few already.

Maybe he is starting his BW AF to go with the BW Army.

TR

[The antihero]

Makes you wonder though if they are smelling some juicy new contract, some new deployment somewhere, and muscling up for it.

[x-factor]

This is more likely for armed ISR than dedicated ground attack (not that the same airframe can't do both). The ISR portion is probably a necessary capability if Blackwater is really serious about doing independent, brigade-sized peacekeeping operations.

[POO]

This is more likely for armed ISR than dedicated ground attack (not that the same airframe can't do both). The ISR portion is probably a necessary capability if Blackwater is really serious about doing independent, brigade-sized peacekeeping operations.

That platform would do the job. However, IMO based on it's size and capacity (single eng/single seat) BW would then need to think about the logistics involved in getting the info to "ground personnel". A Guardrail, or OWL/Highlighter bird would be more efficient.

[Snaquebite]

I don't know what the contract calls for but BW recently was awarded the contract for WPPS Aviation Task order 10.

[MAB32]

I was just getting ready to ask "where are all of the AT-37's we gave them?" Then I saw on their web site that this aircraft is a "replacement" for their aging AT-37's. For COIN I would think the OV-10 would do a better job.