Attack Plane Built for Afghanistan Comes Under Scrutiny
Attack Plane Built for Afghanistan Comes Under Scrutiny by Clifford Davis, Florida Times-Union
Embraer rolled its first A-29 Super Tucano attack plane out of its Jacksonville facility to grinning politicians and military brass in September as part of the U.S. Air Force's contract to supply Afghanistan with its own ground-support capability.
Now, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) questions whether the 20 planes — and the $429 million of taxpayers' money — will be wasted.
Inspector General John F. Sopko noted his concerns in a letter dated Nov. 12 to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. John F. Campbell, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force.
Sopko is concerned the Afghans don't know how to operate or maintain the aircraft and sending them to the country is futile…
