New BW Toys
 

Anybody want to make a guess at who owns EP Aviation and what the letters stand for?

TR

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,361322,00.html

Report: Blackwater Worldwide Purchases Brazilian-Made Fighter Plane
Monday, June 02, 2008

SAO PAULO, Brazil — A subsidiary of U.S. military security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has purchased a fighter plane from the Brazilian aviation company Embraer, a Brazilian newspaper reported Sunday.

The 314-B1 Super Tucano propeller-driven fighter — the same used by the Brazilian military — was bought for US$4.5 million and delivered to EP Aviation at the end of February, according to the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper.

The report included the plane's registration number with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, and the FAA Web site confirmed it is registered by EP Aviation.

It was not clear if it was Embraer's first sale of a military-style aircraft to a private company. EP Aviation has 33 planes and helicopters registered with the FAA, according to the agency's Web site, only one of which is from Embraer.

Officials with Brazil's government and Embraer declined to comment on the Estado report. Phone calls to Blackwater were not returned.

The sale was apparently approved, the Estado report noted, by Brazil's president in a deal negotiated with the U.S. government.

Brazilian law prohibits the sale of arms to companies or for use in existing conflicts.

The newspaper reported that Blackwater president Gary Jackson said the plane would be used for training.

The plane sold to EP Aviation did not include the two .50-caliber machine guns normally attached to the wings.

Blackwater, the largest private security company in the world, has been under scrutiny as a U.S. federal grand jury investigates its involvement in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians.

Blackwater also is under investigation for possible weapons smuggling allegations — accusations the company denies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer...4_Super_Tucano

Maybe someone with a bit more insight could share what BW would use this for?

It is an aerobatic plane and an expensive playtoy for a rich guy.

Probably tax deductible to boot.

TR

Nice airplane! I expect he would get a great deal of attention if he used it in a corporate airplane role.

The link includes a small image.

LINK

It is, I believe, the twin seater variant.

Maybe it is going to be a passenger aircraft.:D

The owner, with 32 other aircraft, is obviously an aviation buff.

TR

He seems particularly fond of Bell 412s. ;)

Pat

Looks like This just went through

Good times,
Blake

Curious to see where this goes.....
 

So are armed aircraft conducting COIN operations considered an "Inherently Government Function".:munchin

Calendar No. 758
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5658
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 3, 2008
Received; read twice and placed on the calendar
________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for the protection of child custody arrangements for parents who are members of the Armed Forces deployed in support of a contingency operation, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009'.


SEC. 824. PERFORMANCE BY PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTORS OF INHERENTLY GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS IN AN AREA OF COMBAT OPERATIONS.
(a) Modification of Regulations- Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to section 862(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181; 122 Stat. 254; 10 U.S.C. 2302 note) shall be modified to ensure that private security contractors are not authorized to perform inherently governmental functions in an area of combat operations.
(b) Guidance- After the issuance of regulations to implement the actions required by section 322 of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall issue supplementary guidance to describe functions that should not be performed by private security contractors because they constitute inherently governmental functions.
(c) Periodic Review of Performance of Functions-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Defense shall, in coordination with the heads of other appropriate agencies, periodically review the performance of private security functions in areas of combat operations to ensure that such functions are authorized and performed in a manner consistent with the requirements of this section.
(2) REPORTS- Not later than June 1 of each of 2009, 2010, and 2011, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the most recent review conducted under paragraph (1).

Armed COIN air "Inherently Government Function"?
 

Not if it's strictly defensive, a la Executive Protection (whoops -- there's an EP!) and not CAS to military forces (read back-up to ground protection services).

Then you should put a deposit down on one of the few remaining Thunder Mustang kits! www.thundermustang.com :D