US private security company Blackwater USA is planning to enhance its capabilities with the acquisition of an Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano trainer/light attack aircraft.
Blackwater President Gary Jackson confirmed to Jane's at the Force Protection Equipment Demonstration in Stafford, Virginia, in mid-August that the company is in the process of acquiring the Super Tucano for a new training programme. Transfer of the aircraft to the US is still subject to US government approval and Blackwater would offer no further comment on the transaction or the planned training programme.
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The company operates a sizeable aircraft wing. In Iraq, it operates a small fleet of helicopters to provide top cover for its security details; two Hughes/MD 500 'Little Bird' helicopters operated by the company were lost to hostile fire earlier this year. The company also advertises CASA 212 twin turboprops for military freefall and static-line parachute operations, as well as cargo operations for US Special Operations Command. The Moyock centre boasts a large airfield.
Prospective acquisition of the Super Tucano by Blackwater comes amid rising interest in counter-insurgency-style aircraft, particularly in the Middle East. Fixed-wing aircraft such as the Super Tucano are seen as a promising option for missions such as surveillance, roadside-bomb detection and close air support. The US Air Force (USAF) 337th Aeronautical Systems Group is currently conducting market research to find potential candidates for a counter-insurgency aircraft for the Iraqi Air Force (IQAF). The COIN aircraft would be a "lightly armoured, two-seat turboprop" that can track, identify and engage a number of targets with electro-optical and infrared sensors as well as with air-to-ground weapons.
Last year, the USAF launched a search for private companies that could provide basic flight training to IQAF candidate pilots.
A defence expert with inside knowledge of counter-insurgency aviation programmes said "several companies" were trying to replicate the mission of the US 6th Special Operations Squadron, which advises foreign militaries in airpower employment and force design. Climbto350.com, a pilot jobs site, recently posted an advertisement seeking fixed-wing tactical instructor pilots for the Middle East. Applicants, the advertisement stated, "should have a military background with experience in special operations aviation" as well as be NVG qualified and have experience in airborne surveillance and tactical parachute operations. The advertiser did not accept calls, but listed a fax number in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE has been studying a range of options for training aircraft, reportedly including the Super Tucano; the M-311 from Alenia Aermacchi of Italy; and the PC-21 from Pilatus of Switzerland. That contest will be decided towards the end of 2007.
In addition to rising international interest, the USAF is also studying its own counter-insurgency aircraft. USAF Chief of Staff General Michael Moseley recently told Jane's he was considering the creation of a new counter-insurgency squadron of A-10A Thunderbolt II aircraft for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Gen Moseley's interest in a new A-10 squadron followed recent reports of a new AFSOC proposal for an 'irregular warfare' wing. Aircraft reportedly being studied to fill the strike role in the wing have ranged from a modified air-to-ground Beechcraft AT-6B to the Super Tucano.
The US military has also recalled to service fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft such as the OV-1 Mohawk, which was retired from the US Army in 1996.
The Department of Defense has contracted with Florida-based Mohawk Technologies of Florida to rent a fleet of six OV-1s. Paul Pefley, the president of Mohawk Technologies, told Jane's the aircraft were currently being used operationally, although he would not say where.
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