Air Force to purchase Brazilian planes – Obama nixes more jobs
Editor’s Note – In this year of Presidential race politics, with National Security and Jobs/Economy the top concerns of the American voter, why is Obama continually finding ways to kill jobs. The delay on the Canadian oil pipeline until after the election means thousands of jobs will not be filled, maybe ever. Then there is this $1 Billion Air Force project going to a foreign company. Not just any company, but one with ties to Iran. How does this make sense? Your tax dollars are going overseas and possibly into the very hands of our enemies.
Remember, when the Pentagon spends money inside the United States, tax-payer money, those funds go into our economy. It creates jobs, and the money earned goes directly into the system, keeping others employed, all with our tax dollars. Instead, that money will go to Brazil. That is a double hit on our economy.
Obama Admin Bans US Aircraft Maker, Favors Non-US Firm with Ties to Iran on Light Aircraft Project
By Bryan Preston
Late Thursday the Obama administration abruptly knocked Kansas aircraft maker Hawker Beechcraft out of contention for a $1 billion project to make a fleet of lightweight counterinsurgency aircraft for the Air Force. Hawker Beechcraft is, understandably, disturbed and asking questions.
The Air Force has notified Hawker Beechcraft Corp. that its Beechcraft AT-6 has been excluded from competition to build a light attack aircraft, a contract worth nearly $1 billion, the company said.
The company had hoped to its AT-6, an armed version of its T-6 trainer, would be chosen for the Light Air Support Counter Insurgency aircraft for the Afghanistan National Army Corps. The chosen aircraft also would be used as a light attack armed reconnaissance aircraft for the U.S. Air Force.
Hawker Beechcraft AT-6
The piston planes are designed for counterinsurgency, close air support, armed overwatch and homeland security, The Wichita Eagle reported.
Hawker Beechcraft officials said in a news release that they were “confounded and troubled” by the Air Force’s decision. The company said it is asking the Air Force for an explanation and will explore all options.
Hawker Beechcraft said it had been working with the Air Force for two years and had invested more than $100 million to meet the Air Force’s requirements for the plane. It noted that the Beechcraft AT-6 had been found capable of meeting the requirements in a demonstration program led by the Air National Guard.
“We have followed the Air Force’s guidance close, and based on what we have seen, we continue to believe that we submitted the most capable, affordable and sustainable light attack aircraft,” the company said.
The company has said that winning the contract would have kept its T-6 production line running after 2015. About 1,400 employees in 20 states – including 800 at Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita – work on the AT-6 and T-6 programs for Beechcraft and its U.S. suppliers and partners.
So that’s another 1,400 American jobs lost. And it gets worse. By knocking Hawker Beechcraft out, the Pentagon has limited the “competition” to one company, a company that is not only not an American manufacturer, it’s a government-owned entity with ties to our enemies. The company is Embraer, which is controlled by the government of Brazil and has close ties to the government of Iran, as Timothy Lee wrote for the Tatler on Nov. 10.
According to the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, “In 1989, Brazil chose to sell Tucanos, Embraer’s relatively low cost and basic military aircraft, to Iran.” Currently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force operates around 40 Embraer T-27 Tucanos, according to the Washington Institute. In fact, the Iranians use the Tucano as their primary close air support aircraft.
In recent years, Brazil has continued its troubling friendship with Iran and ruthless leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Hudson Institute notes that, “Another area of tension between Brazil and the United States relates to Iran. In November 2009, President da Silva invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Brazil. In May 2010, da Silva helped broker a deal in which Iran would ship only a portion of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey for reprocessing; the rest would remain in Iranian hands, where it could be further enriched for nuclear weapon production.”
That willingness to set ethics aside for the betterment of their bottom line illustrates the danger in the US purchasing military aircraft from Brazil.
The matter becomes even more troublesome as news trickles out about the recent Iran-lead assassination attempts on Saudi/US officials on American soil. Even more recently, details have emerged implicating Iran as the mastermind of an illegal plot to smuggle electronic components used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs) out of the US through Iran for US on our troops in Iraq.
Why is the administration making a decision to exclude an American manufacturer in favor of a maker with such a history? This is the Obama administration’s second billion-dollar giveaway to the Brazilian government in 2011; the first was its outrageous offshore oil loan guarantee decision in March. The two decisions siphon more than $2 billion and more than 21,000 jobs out of the US economy. Of the two, putting a foreign manufacturer with ties to our enemies in charge of a project to build anti-terror weaponry may be the most disturbing. And this is the Obama administration’s second major decision against an American aircraft manufacturer, the first being the NLRB’s unprecedented lawsuit against Boeing and its South Carolina Dreamliner plant. Both states impacted — Kansas and South Carolina — are right-to-work states. And then there’s this president’s sustained rhetorical war against corporate jet owners. Somebody has to make those jets, and Hawker Beechcraft is among the manufacturers indirectly targeted.
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34 Responses to Air Force to purchase Brazilian planes – Obama nixes more jobs
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This really isn’t that big of a deal. It’s the superior plane, it’s American built, supplied by American contractor, and 80%+ of the parts are built in the US.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDpUl3UPosg
It’s a big deal to the American’s loosing their jobs.
The Pentagon might argue that the purchase price from Brazil saves the taxpayers money.
But the cost to the U.S. economy of the Obama administration’s decision to send 21,000 jobs overseas, not only costs the U.S. economy those jobs and the hundreds of millions in wages, but the 10′s of thousands of additional jobs that money would create as it would have been spent here to create more jobs.
Saves the Pentagon a few million, costs the U.S. economy a few Billion.
Obama’s war on America’s middle-class workers in right to work states.
Where is the MSM in all of this???
I can’t believe we are buying military aircraft from a foreign country particularly for special operations. We have people out of work in large numbers and we need the work here. We could run into the same problem with the Pilatus Porter where the foreign country wouldn’t sell it to the military if it was to be used in a conflict. What happens if Brazil adopts the same attitude? As an old AF military acquisition officer I just can’t believe that they are doing this.
This is just typical of Obummer. He wants to blame Republicans for failing to get Americans back to work. Now he wants to buy a foreign aircraft that has ties to Iran? Guess we never saw that coming…NOT! I knew this guy really doesn’t want to lead the greatest nation on earth. He just wants to bring us down to our knees. Too bad for him that when we get down on our knees, is that many will be praying for him to be gone, and then maybe many will exercise their rights to vote in someone whi believes in Duty, Honor, Country!
This is all so easy to see and no one can figure it out???? People ARE NOT paying attention… He explains in his book why he’s doing this:
He is taking from the COLONIZERS (USA) and giving the riches BACK to the countries his DAD said the COLONIZERS stole from them. Brazil, 3B in oil production, Colombia 3B in Oil production, now this. The pattern he’s been doing is in PLAIN sight. NO NEWS MEDIA including FOX will go there. NONE go after the motives he details in his books. This returning the riches is in the book Dreams of My Father.
This is his governing foundation… He’s purposely killed jobs and given them to 3rd world countries. Glenn Beck did segments on this yet no one DARE touch this. Roots of Obamas Rage the book clearly defines what I just mentioned. THIS IS WHY he’s purposely destroying the country.
Wake the hell up people and quit asking why. HE’s told us why, people are not paying close enough attention.
This is totally insane! Obama talks jobs out of one side of his mouth,
and kills big job creating projects out the other side. We HAVE GOT to
get rid of this lunatic before the USA is nothing more than a page in some
old history book!!!!!
It is very funny. Everyone’s talking about the U.S. that Brazil has ties with Iran. Let’s go back a few decades in time and see who armed Iran with military equipment avançadíssimos (in season) as the F-14A, F-4, F-5, Phoenix missiles and many other cutting-edge equipment. It was Brazil? It was the england? Germany? Israel? France? Not !!!!! It was the U.S., and will repeat for everyone to remember this well, was the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to arm Iran with technology.
Other examples: In 80 years, Brazil has tried to acquire the F-16, and no one ever heard of the USA. But these fighters were sold to Venezuelade Hugo Chavez and many other examples of “shot in the arm” that the U.S. gave to the foreign policy and Brazil has always been a peaceful country that has always believed in dialogue as a way to avoid armed clashes between nations , gets the discredit of Americans simply want to sell the “best” anti-guerilla aircraft in the world and that will be as useful to the U.S. and at the same time will generate hundreds of jobs as well as the aT-6, which is a much lower plane.
Who lost the most, is the U.S. propio, choose the T-6.
I do not know where you get you facts and figures from, you might want to check them again. Yes we did sell arms and aircraft to Iran totally different government at the time and since then. No Phoenix missiles or advance radars were included. Shortly after the Islamic radical took over and we pulled out the support of the aircraft they no longer flew. as far as F-16s to Venezuela Hugo Chavez he was not a leader in the 80s he had not yet nationalized all the American and other countries interest in Venezuela.
From what I see in your writing you would support anyone that HEATS the USA.
Ken Harris ADCS USN-Retired
Olha eu aqui,postando!…viva a EMBRAER!….VIVA O BRASIL!…..E VIVA A NAÇÃO AMERICANA!-Hahahaha…..
The EMB-314 Super Tucano has 70% of its components manufactured in the U.S. and its production line will be in the state of Florida, in a way the American people will not get jobs, and the Super Tucano is much higher than the AT-6, is approved in a real combat aircraft, 500 jobs, or do you prefer his airmen safely home after the war, because the EMB-314 can save the lives of their aviators with its perfect shielding the At-6 did not.
The Super Tucano is perfect for the war, and economically viable for the U.S. government as it will be manufactured in the USA.
Honestly… you guys are insane. With “ties to Iran”? And you? Didn’t you have it too? Didn’t you sell F-4s, F-5s and even more to them? Don’t you know the ST is 70%+ made of american components? Don’t you know it will be TOTALLY built in USA, generating jobs in YOUR COUNTRY? That it has 18,000+ hours in combat, while AT-6 has NONE??
Sincerely, why do you complain so much about your AT-6 beeing excluded the LAS? You can’t expect that an airplane that is NOT made for LAS’s purpose, which is still under development, which is FAR worse than ST, can you?
Pff… learn to THINK.
*You can’t expect that (…) will win the LAS, can you?
Brazil sold 40 aircraft to Iran? Where they got that and another was not the U.S. that sold F14 to Iran? and all that the U.S. sold weapons to Iran to get the Super Tucano is already in the U.S. manu manufacture 80% of the parts is that you are so stupid they do not understand the interest and sell the HS F18 to Brazil and the purchase of Super Tucano is a form of counterpart
Não estou esperando nada Observer10, estou apenas “AFIRMANDO” a verdade de que vocês se acham os donos da verdade, os donos do mundo e os únicos certos no planeta, só que assim como acomteceu com Roma, Napoleão, Hitler e tantas outras nações que se achavam os donos do mundo, tem o momento de glória e declínio, e os EUA começaram o momento intermediário entre o apogeu e o declínio, é só questão de tempo e a própia CIA fez previsões de que no futuro, CHINA, ÍNDIA, RÚSSIA e BRASIL serão as principais potências econômicas do planeta e isso é um fato que vocês se recusam a aceitar.
Desculpe a forma arrogante de me expressar, mas tem horas que temos que tratar as pessoas da mesma forma que nos tratam e eu não falei nenhuma mentira até então.
Abraços
Here is his translation
Observer10 I’m not expecting anything, I’m just “affirm” the truth that you will find the true owners, the owners of the world and the only certain on the planet, only acomteceu well as with Rome, Napoleon, Hitler and many other nations they were masters of the world, has his moment of glory and decline, and the U.S. began the moment intermediate between the peak and decline, is a matter of time and proposed that the CIA made predictions in the future, CHINA, INDIA, RUSSIA and BRAZIL will be the major economic powers of the planet and it is a fact that you refuse to accept.
Sorry about the arrogant way of expressing myself, but there are times when we have to treat people the same way we treat and I have not spoken until now no lie.
hugs
I’ll repeat in english google translator.
Observer10 I’m not expecting anything, I’m just “affirm” the truth that you will find the true owners, the owners of the world and the only certain on the planet, only acomteceu well as with Rome, Napoleon, Hitler and many other nations they were masters of the world, has his moment of glory and decline, and the U.S. began the moment intermediate between the peak and decline, is a matter of time and proposed that the CIA made predictions in the future, CHINA, INDIA, RUSSIA and BRAZIL will be the major economic powers of the planet and it is a fact that you refuse to accept.
Sorry about the arrogant way of expressing myself, but there are times when we have to treat people the same way we treat and I have not spoken until now no lie.
hugs
Reply
I’m seeing you criticize President Obama.
A righteous man, honest, like peace, took command of a nation to the brink of bankruptcy as its predecessor bequeathed and is accused by all the “guilty” for all the woes that America is going through today.
I think it is pure and simple prejudice because he is black and Muslim son.
Unfortunate for the most developed country in the world …
That’s ridiculous!
That is the lying deceitful spin that those that would destroy all hope of freedom for the people of the world to be subjugated by the Oligarchy of a One World Government. As David Rockefeller said:
” “For more than a century, ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure — one world, if you will,” wrote David Rockefeller in his autobiography. “If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.”
Additionally:
“This present window of opportunity, during which a truly peaceful and interdependent world order might be built, will not be open for too long – We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order.”
-David Rockefeller wrote on Sept. 23, 1994
“The threat of environmental crisis will be the ‘international disaster key’ that will unlock the New World Order.”
-Mikhail Gorbachev
“We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years.
It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national autodetermination practiced in past centuries.”
-David Rockefeller Banker, Founder & Honorary Chairman of Trilateral Commission, Honorary Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations. Speaking at the June, 1991 Bilderberg meeting in Baden, Germany (a meeting also attended by then-Governor Bill Clinton and by Dan Quayle)
“In the next century, nations as we know them will be obsolete; all states will recognize a single, Global Authority. National sovereignty wasn’t such a great idea after all.”
- Strobe Talbot, President Clinton’s Deputy Secretary of State, Time Magazine, July 20th, l992
“The drive of the Rockefellers and their allies is to create a One-World Government combining supercapitalism and Communism under the same tent, all under their control….
Do I mean conspiracy? Yes I do. I am convinced there is such a plot, international in scope, generations old in planning, and incredibly evil in intent.”
-Congressman Larry P. McDonald, 1976, killed in the Korean Airlines 747 that was shot down by the Soviets.
ith the civilian oversight and purchasing groups now in charge of government and military buying criminal and corrupt practices are ongoing. With Barry Soertoro now in the White House criminal and corrupt behavior will accelerate to unimaginable heights.
The congress has to step in and put a stop to this illegal operator and his criminal and corrupt enterprises.
Is the TREASON obvious YET?
Why is anyone surprised by this? Barry Soetoro has done and will continue to do everything in his power to bring down this great nation. As noted in his book he will choose Islam over all. He has and is systematically destroying our economy from within. We have always known and been warned that he would come and now he is here! American Patriots must wake up and put a stop to this Great Betrayer! Come hell or High Water this muslim has got to go!
Oh, poor Americans – you think you still manufacture anything? You are mistaken – assembly of parts isn’t manufacturing.
Our expensive, poorly made US appliances rust out within 5 years in the kitchen – not to tell what you disabled mechanics did to our American made car.
I start to read manuals and study the basics of mechanics and electronics – so should anybody who still got a brain – saves an awful lot of money.
This is America – and yes we can’t, but we can murder people abroad.
I’m not too good at math, eh?
I mean, just how many is a BRAZILLION???
Meanwhile Eisenhower rolls over in his grave, this exactly the MIlitary Industrial Complex problem he warned about.
In a capitalist system , there is competition and the stronger competitor beats the weaker one . In this case the American company was the weaker while the brazilians had superior aircraft ( and actually brazil is a Market leader in making small planes ) so why the weeping ? Wouldn’t it be socialism if the president and the government picked a weaker plane which doesn’t meet it’s require end just because it was American? After all you jumped on the president for saving the American auto industry which could not compete with the Japanese and Germans and saving thousands of jobs . This sounds like an article for whiners . Also it is disgraceful trying to paint this company as having ties to Iran just cow the Brazilian government has no beef with the Iranians like the Americans and Israelis . It is a Private company and it sells it’s products all over the world from south Africa to Sudan and Iran . There are german cars in Iran does that mean Germany supports Iran ? Irans airforce is made up entirely of American planes so does that mean we support Iran too? So just because they sold a training plane to Iran years ago in the eighties does jot make them be under the banner of having ties with Iran . If anything it should be a wake up call to defence contractors who sell substandard products just because they assume that they have first shot at American defence needs . Thaw not how the free Market works .
This administration has been on the razors edge as far as treasonous activity. The fact that he is not making jobs but causing even more to fall into the despair of joblessness with not only this more but by disallowing the Canadian pipeline… Less jobs means means more dependants on the government…
Kudos to Stan for defending a private corporation.
It’s so funny. Conservatives love capitalism until somebody they don’t like starts buying the product made. Then it’s “those nasty Iranians are *gasp* buying these planes! How dare Obama do business with a company that in its capitalistic way dares SELL their planes to *gasp* Iran!!” Embraer is a private corporation, and according to your own rules of free market capitalism, can sell their product to whoever they damn well please. If American corporations want to compete in the global free market place, then they better get their rears in gear and start—I don’t know–competing instead of sending their jobs (and parts) overseas so they can get their product built / assembled by an inferior workforce for one dollar an hour.
Plenty of other countries who are democratic buy that plane too.
http://www.embraer.com/en-US/ConhecaEmbraer/PresencaGlobal/Pages/Home.aspx
It’s been fun dropping into this Obama-bash session, *yawn* but it’s time to go on to something more worthwhile.
Well I hear and feel the pain and the frustration as I work in the aerospace industry myself. I want to first say that I am not an Obama lover, but in all fairness the same thing happened a few years ago under the Bush administration. As I recall the Air Force struck a deal with Airbus (French) for a number of air refueling tankers. Prior to that the Army bought several light attack helicopters from Eurocopter instead from Bell or Sikorsky. So this is not new. Congress makes those decisions on weapon system performance, price and long term maintenance cost of the units they buy. It seems to me that some of our US companies are becoming complacent and secure in being able to historically secure contracts with the DoD to the point that they (some US companies) fall short of offering value and innovation to their customers. Bell realized that and it is now investing several million dollars in modernizing their facilities as well as investing in new technologies.
Just keep that in mind before you start pointing fingers at the current clown in the oval office.
Follow the money – if Embraer gets the contract George Soros will financially benefit from his investments. Another “FOO” (Friend Of Obama) getting rich off of the Tax Payers – Why not run both aircraft through the testing and may the best plane win.
The two billionaire brothers , David and Charles Koch are the ones who financed the Tea Party. Guess where they are from -Wichita , Ks. This is the same situation when the Bush Adm. gave the “no bid: contracts to Vice President Cheney’s old company.
The old saying “Paybacks a bitch” certainly applies here. Which Party is in the White House gets to make these decisions.
The only way to stop this is to throw all the elected officials in Wa. D.C. (including the Tea Party , they cost me $50K out of my retirement account when they held up the legislation to raise the debt ceiling )- note the Democrats never did this to President George Bush in his eight years even thought he was responsible for the borrow limits to go sky high with the “weapons of mass destructions ” War .
Until the American voter really wants change (I don’t call the Tea Party change as the Koch Brothers financed the Tea Party) they have to come up with a true third party that does not answer to the Republican Koch Brothers or even Democrat George Soros.
Make change America , let the 99% speak.
The Tacano will be assembled in Florida and reported will employ 2100 Americans (vs 1400 at Beecher). The Tacano can carry more ordinance and isn’t a converted trainer, it was designed from the start as a tactical attack plane, including a wider undercarriage for rough-field operations. It’s the superior plane for our troops. But that’s not iportant to you is it? Oh. And this was a Pentagon decision, not a dictate from one man in the White House. Please learn to read. Fox is not a source of news.