Would you buy a car without test driving it?
Would you buy combat airplane without knowing whether it can even fly? The guys on Pawn Stars wouldn’t do that — but apparently the United States Air Force will.
“The Air Force’s rush to get critical combat aircraft into the hands of Afghan forces could end up endangering both American trainers and Afghan pilots, writes The Hill. “Sub-standard equipment built into the planes coupled with the decision to eliminate flight demos for those aircraft are raising serious concerns over the Air Force’s strategy, according to industry sources.”
“…the decision to eliminate flight demos…” Let that sink in. As a former airman myself, that’s appalling, and it endangers pilots and crews. In this case, it endangers Afghan pilots who will end up flying these planes against terrorists.
The process by which the Air Force has gone about selecting the light attack aircraft contract has been riddled with controversy. The Air Force summarily eliminated US manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft from the competition in November 2011, leaving just Brazilian manufacturer Embraer in the running. But Embraer has ties to the Iranian government. Embraer got the contract despite this odious connection. Hawker’s T-6 trainer, which is the platform upon which the company proposed building the light attack plane, has been in the US inventory for years and has an exemplary safety record. If Hawker lands the contract, it will create hundreds of jobs in the US; if Embraer lands it, it will create most of those jobs in Brazil.
But at the end of the day, what we really want is the best aircraft for the job. How do we get that, though, when the Air Force eliminates comprehensive test flights? The Hill writes that there is a potential problem with the design of the ejection seat, as planners failed to take into account the fact that Afghan pilots tend to be smaller than American pilots. Test flights would help find any problems with the design, and help designers correct them.
After the Air Force cancelled the contract with Embraer, they said they were going to rejigger the RFP. Embraer started hurling threats at the United States; Hawker Beechcraft was forced to lay off 350 American workers (who’s jobs would likely have been saved if they hadn’t been inexplicably aced out of the deal in the first place).
In February, Gen. Norton Schwartz cryptically stated that the contract award process was an “embarrassment” and that there would be “hell to pay” if the original decision was anything other than an honest mistake. The remarks left most observers believing a new bidding process would be significantly reformed. It wasn’t. The Air Force reopened the bidding process with bafflingly few changes.
Now the Air Force has eliminated flight tests? What kind of reform is that?
And there’s more. Earlier I noted the ejection seat issue. Hawker Beechcraft Chairman Bill Boisture noted that in the original proposal, the requirements for the ejection system “were lowered from what they are in every other fixed-wing solicitation the Air Force has put out.” This undercutting of Air Force standards seemed to be unfairly tailored to help Embraer win the contract. That’s certainly “an embarrassment” for which there would be appropriate “hell to pay,” if true.
The light attack aircraft contract is worth $400 million, and the aircraft will play a role in stabilizing Afghanistan long after American troops leave. We have to get this right. The Air Force has to stop playing games on this, and it has to stop now.
If the OT command was bigger, with a three star or four star at the helm, and more independent (perhaps going to JCS-level vice service-level), this problem might not exist.
NASA needs one too, as the blood of 17 astronauts show (the astronauts are great test evaluators–it’s the political clout they need more of). I can’t see a future, more operational NASA not having such. Astronauts need shore tours too.
Test flights aren’t what they used to be, and these are relatively low tech planes, but also for those reasons the imposition is small and should be kept.
If Hawker lands the contract, it will create hundreds of jobs in the US; if Embraer lands it, it will create most of those jobs in Brazil.
But what I heard when this was last discussed is that Hawker is British (?) and Embraer promised to do most of the work in the US, Florida I think, so that difference may be small.
Hawker is U. S. thru and thru. Use-ta be British, but that was years ago.
In so far as they’re being low-tech, adaptability to changes and added weight are just some of the things you look for when flight testing. Electronics are an ever-changing dilemma and Revisions are ever on-going.{They’re
Since we’re buying them and we’ve never used ths particular rendition of COIN aircraft, why not make sure everyone is getting a fair shake? This concept is several years in the plannng stage, so what is the hurry now?
Would it have anything to do with Barry’s promise to be Brazil’s regional Oil Customer? Or Soros’ interests in Petrobras or Sinopec?
Production Offsets and all that inconsequential stuff, you know…….
I’m no expert on this topic, but this seems foolhardy.
Let’s launch a new Air Force One without testing it, since such testing is so unnecessary.
At least the Russians test their newly designed aircraft before loading the media on them for demo flights.
Oh. Oops.
Brazil’s President, Dilma Rouseff, is an avowed communist terrorist.See, like any communist, she hates capitalists and especially – USA. Partial list of victims her VPR cadre of communist followers were busy bombing, maiming and killing:(sorry, in portuguese, but the list has countless hundreds of executions – too numerous to publish)
PESSOAS ASSASSINADAS PELA VPR OU COM SUA PARTICIPAÇÃO
Trans: People assasinated by VPR (Vanguarda Politica Revolucionaria) or with their help
27/06/68 – Noel de Oliveira Ramos – civil – RJ
07/11/68 – Estanislau Ignácio Correia – Civil – SP
10/12/70 – Hélio de Carvalho Araújo – Agente da Polícia Federal – RJ
27/09/72 – Sílvio Nunes Alves – Bancário — RJ
PESSOAS ASSASSINADAS PELA VAR-PALMARES OU COM SUA PARTICIPAÇÃO
trans: People assassinated by VAR (Vanguarda Armada Revolucionaria- a terrorist group Dilma organized in Palmares) or with their help
11/07/69 – Cidelino Palmeiras do Nascimento – Motorista de táxi — RJ
27/09/72 – Sílvio Nunes Alves – Bancário — RJ
PESSOAS ASSASSINADAS PELO COLINA OU COM SUA PARTICIPAÇÃO
trans: People assassinated by COLINA (later morphed into COLINA/VPR (Vangaurda Politica Revolucionaria) or with their help
29/01/69 – José Antunes Ferreira – guarda civil-BH/MG
25/10/68 – Wenceslau Ramalho Leite – civil — RJ
ENTRE OUTRAS MORTES
trans: Other deaths
01/07/71 – Jaime Pereira da Silva – Civil – RJ
Morto por terroristas na varanda de sua casa durante tiroteio entre terroristas e policiais. trans: killed by terrorists while on his porch during a shoot-out between law enforcement and terrorists.
02/09/71 – Gentil Procópio de Melo -Motorista de praça – PE (taxi driver)
A organização terrorista denominada Partido Comunista Revolucionário determinou que um carro fosse roubado para realizar um assalto. trans: the communist political party determined a car had to be stolen (Dilma’s involvement for which she was sentenced)for purposes of armed robbery.
This is Brazil’s current political/economic climate. A marxist/leninist oriented government bent on destroying the USA. Need proof? Dilma’s reading list includes:Apolo Heringer and Regis DeBray. Besides her Grande Acao (Grand Action) manifesto.
Why is USA’s Air Force bending over backward to award this contract to a country (Brazil) whose ideology is centered around USA’s destruction? Just like Dilma viciously assassinated innocent Brazilians! We The Elite People of culture of corruption in Washington DC have to remove their blinders and wake-up to modern world’s realties.Award this contract to an American company- HAWKER. God Bless America.