USAF Plans Light Attack Aircraft Contract Awards to SNC-Embraer Team, Textron

The U.S. Air Force plans to award a sole-source contract to the team of Sierra Nevada Corp. of Embraer by the end of fiscal 2019 to manufacture light attack aircraft designed for close combat air support missions, Defense News reported Thursday.

USAF in a FedBizOpps notice posted Wednesday it thinks the SNC-Embraer team, which offers A-29 Super Tucano, possesses "the capability necessary to meet the requirement within the Air Force's time frame without causing an unacceptable delay in meeting the needs of the warfighter.”

Ann Stefanek, a USAF spokeswoman, told Defense News that Textron will also receive a similar contract action to provide the AT-6 Wolverine aircraft as the service plans to continue purchasing additional light attack planes for further experiments in Nevada and Florida.

The Air Force issued a draft request for proposals for the light attack effort in 2018 and expects to provide a formal solicitation notice to SNC soon.