Report: Blackwater buys Brazilian-made fighter plane

Source: USA Today

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 $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 Agency, and the FAA website 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 website, only one of which is from Embraer.



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-06-01-blackwater-brazlian-fighter-plane_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

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Interesting entry in Wikipedia including U.S. vetoeing Venzuela buying any, but ok for U.S. wingnut mercenaries to buy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_314_Super_Tucano

:hide:

:toast:

cause Brazilian news confirms it was delivered end of February and our news media says duh, maybe we should report this.

That is a prediction as Corporations start "defending" themselves from state military forces.

what is a sci fi writer to do?

Why am I not surprised?

he's not President Vice anymore,he wants some Blackwater nuts on call 24/7 in a fighter plane.

didn't cheney supposedly make a nuke go missing?nice addition to his crazy plane?

Right now corporate America is probably a bigger threat to national security than any terrorist.

if they can't get it jump-started this year, with Bush still in office and, as Donald Rumsfeld urges in a Dec 07 op-ed in the WaPo, with the U.S. taking "swift action" in support of "friends and allies" in South America. What he may mean is U.S. military support for the "independence" of oil-rich secessionist provinces in Venezuela, Bolivia and/or Ecuador. The Bushites have been organizing, funding and probably arming the fascist groups planning these secessionist coups. I think they would like to stick Obama with such a quagmire--U.S. troops committed in South America--but if that doesn't work--and the South Americans are onto it, and manuevering to stop it--then the war will go private, and be a longer war of attrition, with the breakoff fascist mini-states occurring somewhat later, when they're ready to go without 4th Fleet or other U.S. military backup--with Rumsfeld having use of the Colombia military and rightwing paramilitary death squads, local militias, possibly some major drug lord militias, Blackwater (active in Colombia), corporate involvement (Exxon Mobil and others), and possibly the traitor involvement of other U.S. military contractors like DynCorp--creating a huge diplomatic fracas for Obama, and possibly difficulties with the U.S. military.

What I don't quite get about this Brazilian sale to Blackwater is that Brazilian President Lula da Silva is adamantly opposed to these secessionist plots, is a staunch ally of Hugo Chavez and the other Bolivarian countries, and is surely aware of the nefarious nature of Blackwater's activities--but maybe the sale was out of his control. I will have to find out more about it. One thing I'm sure of--this is BAD NEWS.

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*"The Smart Way to Beat Tyrants Like Chávez," by Donald Rumsfeld, 12/1/07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/30/AR2007113001800.html

Now bear in mind, if they go to these lengths to control bananas, where will they stop when it comes to controlling oil.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5647767105955314141&q=bernays&ei=irBCSIydGZGIrQLQ_NSBCQ

The above is a 7 min. snip from a 3 part documentary on the role of Sigmund Freud's nephew, Edward Bernays, in launching the PR business in the USA. The documentary also describes how Bernays cooperated with the US government to manipulate public opinion using his famous uncle's insights into the psyche along with the propaganda and PR techniques he had developed. The full documentary is posted here: http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/century_of_the_self.php

here at home any anywhere else we have any remaining authority.

Arrest their officers, round up their troops and seize their assets. The insurgency in SA would end faster than you can say "Shock and Aw, shit."

Then charge them all with treason and set an example.

This thing would be so much haggis put up against any modern jet fighter, unable to either defend itself or properly counterattack. Maximum air-to-air payload is .50 cal cannons and two Sidewinders. All you'd have to do is sit outside the Sidewinder's 10-12 mile range and pick the thing off with an AMRAAM.

End of story.

This plane is meant to murder us bythe thousands, if we dare defy our Bushie Masters in any way that actually threatens them.

They probably have nothing to worry about though. The Imperial Subjects of Amerika are docile as sheep and twice as stupid. I imagine nothing short of a 100% total restoration of Nazi Policies (unlikely to happen - the Bushies aren't stupid when it comes to settingup tyranny, if nothing else) complete with feces-laden boxcars full of piteous victimc, could rouse we Imperial Subjects of Amerika to any kind of action.

And even THEN, I am far from 100% certain ofthat. We might just do what we always do, obey, take it, and cower, happy it is not us dragged away this day.

What a disgraceful trash heap our nation's people have become, and I include myself in that pile.

When it becomes full-blown fascism, do we get to keep American Idol?

(I wish I was joking...) :(

How low we have fallen.

One airplane doesn't make an air force, or even a credible threat. I suspect this is more or less what the Wikipedia says, which is pilot training as well as evaluation for potential future purchases.

of a given society.

Therefore, to dismiss paranoia in a nation like Imperial Amerika, which has made a most rapid transformation from freedom to totalitarianism...the newfangled Inverted Totalitarianism, that is (see the link in my sigline #3), is to ignore the events of the last seven years.

Have you not noticed how the Bushies lie as frequently as Nazis, which is to say approaching 100% of the time? I don't know about you, but outside of Third World Dictatorship or the Soviet Union, I have never seen such a thing, certainly not in the old USA (1776-2000, RIP).

Have you not noticed that all Bushies and their vassals seize power, relying on force of will to trump the law...and it does, it does.

Can you not see the clear signs of warning and menace in the Bushie Propaganda that teaches their mad followers that Liberals are vermin?

Coincidentally (or not), this is what the Nazis referred to the Jews as...vermin. And if you think I am exaggerating IN THE LEAST, please feel free to confirm my verminous assetions by

a) inspecting these links

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/diebow.htm
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/mungo1.htm

b) force yourself to sit down and listen to a couple days of Michael Savage. Count the number of times he calls liberals vermin or other Nazi-like demonization terms. Then go back and reread the links in a)

Have you not noticed the draconian Police State Laws enacted over the past seven years, waiting for the next catastrophe to be turned on like putting a key in n ignition? Could you possibly be here at DU and not noticed these things?

Goddmanit, after seven years what the fuck will it take to wake you damned sheep up?!? One bright bulb I know said to me, "I'll believe it when white people get sent to the Gulags."

How 'bout you? That what it will take for you? Sounds like it.

I cannot register my disgust with you head-in-the-sanders-don't-worry-about-Hitler-and-he'll just fade-away-ers strongly enough.

What will it take? White folks in Gulags? Well, the Bushies aren't dumb enough to show your weak-mind THAT. They know it's the one thing that might wake it up. So they will achieve their goals by other means. Though I wouldn't rule out the Gulags some day. Halliburton's built them and they will be used, or the money is wasted. Second, Inverted Totalitarianism is something of a hothouse flower which, I believe, will swiftly revert to it's more Clasical form. You know, the form a person like YOU can recognize.

Goddamn, I am sorry to be so harsh with you, but I am so SO sick of you Head-In-The-Sand-ers. You Coincidence Theorists. So very sick.

Even at this late date, with evidence mounting daily (most recently the Pentagon Propaganda Scandal, successfully suppressed by the Toady Media, and McClellan's revelations, which anyone who was paying attention contained no new revelations, just confirmed what we already knew), you STILL won't pull your head out of the dark place it currently resides.

One last time: The validity of paranoia is inversely proportional to the openness and freedom of a given society.

I am sorry to interrupt your delusion that nothing has changed since the Stolen Election of 2000. You may now return to your regularly scheduled placement of head in sand.

And since the media hasn't reported a word of this, we can assume that they're part of whatever plot this is

This plane is a piece of crap. Any third world nation's air force or air defense could shoot this thing down.

Blackwater bought this thing for one reason: for currency training of joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs) and forward air controllers (FACs). While they have different titles their jobs are the same: calling in air strikes. To be able to do this in the military, a candidate has to go through extensive training and be signed off by their commanding officer. They also have to maintain their currency by calling in a certain amount of training air strikes.

Blackwater bought this plane so they can hire JTACs and FACs straight out of the military while they are still current. They can then ensure that they keep their currency by getting the training they need with this plane and then deploy them to Iraq or Afghanistan.

So here is what worries me and US military commanders are going to have decide: If a Blackwater convoy gets ambushed and they have a non-military JTAC or FAC with the convoy employed by Blackwater, will the US military allow that JTAC to call in an air strike?

I couldn't figure out why they would want a plane like that, now I see.

That is not good.

No matter whether the have trained air controllers or not.

Almost 99% of those security contractors are former military.

When a US/British/Aussie security firm's convoy gets ambushed, if US troops are in the area they will normally come to their aid. They have the radios and crypto needed to talk the US military on the nets the military set up for them and that the military monitors.

There is always fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft up at all times in Iraq. If a private firm's convoy gets ambushed and needs help and they have a non-military JTAC with them and troops can't get to them or aren't in the area, there will be an either a fixed wing or rotary wing platform that is in the area that can get to them.

Now, US commander will have to decide whether or not to let Americans/Brits/Aussies die or let a non-military JTAC call in an air strike.

Could they be training foreign or their own mercenary pilots on this plane?

It is an old platform and is basically a prop plane with a weapons system set up that allows you to strafe. It is probably the cheapest air frame certified to do "close air support" that Blackwater could find and that is what they bought it for. It is certified as a "close air support" air frame.

Nothing else makes much sense.

If they wanted to buy a plane to teach pilots to fly, there are a lot of other planes out there that are better than this and cheaper. I don't see why anyone would want to need to learn to fly this plane, when even third world countries have better aircraft. Heck, the Taliban had planes that would defeat this thing easily.

One plane like this would have minimal impact in a fire fight. This thing would probably only have the gas for two to four strafing runs before running out of gas or fuel. Plus it would be extremely vulnerable to air to basic ground weapon systems. A basically trained insurgent could take this thing down with a MANPAD.

i didn't think of it from that perspective...interesting...

Turn down the paranoia a notch or two, folks.

If Blackwater wanted something to use against civilians, you really think they couldn't purchase something better than this hunk of junk?

Propeller-driven planes are hideously outdated.

and FAC's practice calling in airs strikes a certain number of times in a certain amount of different scenarios. Each time a JTAC or FAC clears an aircraft to drop a bomb or strafe a target (the phrase used to allow the pilot to shoot or drop is "Cleared Hot") counts as one "control".

There are three different types of controls "Type I", "Type II" and "Type III". It would take to long to explain the differences and they are not really that important for this discussion.

Normally, its X number of dayt and night "Type I" controls, X number of day and night "Type II" controls. You also need to have different number of those controls come from Fixed Wing A/C and a certain number from Rotary Wing A/C.

You have to meet these standards every six months or you lose "currency," ie you have the knowledge to calling CAS (Close Air Support) but are not allowed until you meet your training requirements. If you go longer than 18 months without being current you have to go back to the school house to be be signed off by the school house before you can become current again.

If Blackwater has their own Fixed Wing (like the one they bought) and Rotary Wing A/C, then they can hire JTACs and FAC that are current and ensure that they keep their currency without having to go back on active duty as a reservist to get controls.

The way the modern military performs Forward Air control and attack control is with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Blackwater would not need any special license or permits to buy an UAV.

Blackwater is either out of the main stream or they are up to something.

Armed UAV's are the future but they are at the forward edge of technology right now. Does Blackwater want there own? I would bet they do, they just can't get them.

The reason I think they bought this plane and are hiring JTACs is the scenario I describe in my first two posts on this thread. They want the ability to call in air strikes from US military A/C if they get ambushed in Iraq.

The project of the new aircraft was suited to the Amazon region (high temperature, moisture, and precipitation; low threat). The ALX was then specified as a turboprop engine aircraft with a long range and autonomy, able to operate in night and day, in any meteorological conditions, and able to land on short airfields lacking infrastructure

A-29A
Single-seater for attack and armed reconnaissance (on interdiction tasks), attack and cover (on close air support tasks), able to intercept and destroy low performance aircraft.
A-29B
Twin-seater for the same tasks as the single seat version, also used in training and advanced aerial control (on monitoring tasks).

Operators

Brazil
99 units

Colombia
25 units

Dominican Republic
10 units (ordered in June, 2007)

Indonesia
16 units (ordered in March,2008)to Replace Rockwell OV-10 Bronco

United States
Blackwater USA: 1 twin-seater variant for pilot training, possible further orders COIN aircraft
counter insurgency (COIN)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_314_Super_Tucano

With only a total of 124 built this is a poor mans skunk works drug war bird.


Maybe Blackwater plans on defeating Hugo's air defenses after tricking it out ?

Maybe not

Where will they settle down?(some south or central American country) Who will be there secret service? Blackwater

And they will need hardware. And a country without extradition.

this must mean any corporation should be able to purchase any weapons/weapons systems from any country at any time???

The corporo-fascists need a treason force with no allegiance to the Constitution, American legal principles or even the American way of life -- Blackwater is that intended anti-patriot force, IMO. There are limits to what can be asked of U.S. police forces and even the military. The freedom hating Repukelicans need an SS style force and they realize they must turn to the private sector.

How in the Hell is Blackwater allowed to exist? These rogue mercenaries should not be allowed to exist, and now they are going to get fighter aircraft? WTF? I am seriously thinking of buying a gun for myself (and I have been a long time anti-gun advocate) if the Republicans steal the White House again. I am not going to the gas chambers willingly. God Damnit, I am so depressed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Outcomes

These firm now provide convoy security and personal security details (PSD) for the US and other governments dignitaries so the troops don't have to do it.

While Executive Outcomes was broken up, many of the founders own their own security firm under a different name.