Hawker Beechcraft officials said they are “confounded and troubled” by the Air Force’s decision to exclude their AT-6 platform from further consideration in the service’s Light Air Support aircraft competition. In a Nov. 18 release, they stated that the Air Force notified them of this development in a letter, but provided “no basis for the exclusion.” They said this news was troubling because their company, which has been teamed with Lockheed Martin in offering the AT-6, has been “working closely with the Air Force for two years and, with our partners, have invested more than $100 million preparing to meet the Air Force’s specific requirements.” The officials said they have requested a debriefing. The Air Force has said it intends to acquire 20 LAS platforms for the Afghan air force. Embraer’s Super Tucano also has been in the running for LAS.
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
