Loren Thompson argues in a blog last week there are two competitors for the US Air Force contract for a light attack armed reconnaissance (LAAR) aircraft: "An American plane made by Hawker Beechcraft designated the AT-6, and a
Brazilian plane made by Embraer designated the EMB-314."This is a bad thing, according to Thompson. "The fact the Air Force is even entertaining a bid from Brazil tells us that this Pentagon is out of touch with economic realities."
I won't argue with his conclusion, but the facts need a little clarity.
The AT-6 may be an "American plane", but Hawker Beechcraft is not truly an American company.
Hawker, of course, is a brand invented in the UK, which migrated across the Atlantic in the early 1980s when British Aerospace sold its business jet division to Beechcraft. That business was later acquired by Raytheon. Two decades later, the brand Hawker Beechcraft was invented when Raytheon sold the business to two investors -- Goldman Sachs and Toronto-based Onex.
In fact, Hawker Beechcraft is at least a half-Canadian company, with half of its product line-up from the United Kingdom.
[UPDATE: I actually forgot the most important point. Thompson writes that the AT-6 is an American aircraft. The AT-6, of course, was not designed by Beechcraft. It was developed on license from the Pilatus PC-9. Last I checked, Pilatus is still based in Stans, Switzerland, which is about 275km from where I'm typing this sentence at the Geneva convention center.]
Meanwhile, Hawker chief executive Bill Boisture is here in Geneva, Switzerland, where I'm covering the EBACE show. He addressed reporters this morning, and noted the company's interest in the LAAR contract.
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