Taxpayer Group Urges Pentagon to Ground Faulty Aircraft Procurement

On Friday November 18, 2011, the Obama Administration and the Pentagon made a decision to ship jobs overseas and put a critical defense project at risk by disqualifying aircraft manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft from the Light Air Support and Light Attack and Armed Reconnaissance (LAS/LAAR) procurement competition.  That leaves only one company left to fulfill the order, the Brazilian company Embraer.  On December 29, 2011, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) supported Hawker Beechcraft’s federal suit to get answers from the Pentagon and urged the Pentagon to halt the procurement and provide answers to taxpayers and the country as to why Hawker Beechcraft was disqualified.

Read the full statement below:

Taxpayer Group Urges Pentagon to Ground Faulty Aircraft Procurement

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance applauds and supports American aircraft manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft’s federal suit in response to the recent series of outrageous and perplexing actions of awarding the Light Air Support and Light Attack and Armed Reconnaissance (LAS/LAAR) aircraft to the Brazilian company Embraer.  By doing this, the Administration will be shipping jobs overseas, and putting a critical defense project in the hands of a hostile, foreign government.  This is all at the expense of American taxpayers.

In the contract bid to support the military’s LAS/LAAR aircraft program, our organization has already voiced its support for Hawker Beechcraft over Brazil’s Embraer to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in two separate letters here and here because of its ability to protect taxpayers and the country.

The abrupt disqualification of Hawker Beechcraft will lead to the awarding of the contract – and the ensuing revenue to American taxpayers – to a foreign company currently under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits companies from bribing foreign government officials or making other illegal payments to obtain or retain business.

The Administration’s awarding of this contract to Embraer would send billions of dollars in taxpayer dollars to Brazil that would otherwise stay in the United States. Hawker Beechcraft is right to file suit with the Court of Federal Claims to help ensure this Administration keeps defense contracting and production on American soil, where they belong.