WASHINGTON — Arkansas Rep. Tim Griffin on Thursday questioned why the U.S. Air Force awarded a $355 million contract to a foreign competitor of Hawker Beechcraft that has a plant in Little Rock.
“I haven’t been able to get a straight answer from the administration, but it is imperative that they be completely transparent with Congress about why an American company was inexplicably excluded from this competition,” said Griffin, R-Little Rock.
Hawker Beechcraft, which has an aircraft completions plant at the Little Rock airport, has filed a legal challenge against a decision to exclude the company from a competition to supply the Air Force with light air support aircraft.
During a recent status conference at the Court of Federal Claims, the Wichita-based company learned the contract was awarded to Sierra Nevada Corp., of Sparks, Nevada, for 20 Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucanos. Embraer, a Brazilian company, intends to manufacture the aircraft in the United States.
The company is seeking a temporary restraining order to preclude the Air Force from moving forward in the contract process. A ruling on the request is expected by Jan. 11. The Air Force, meanwhile, issued a stop work order on Wednesday on the Light Air Support contract as a result of the litigation.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Lt. Col. Wesley P. Miller said Thursday that the Air Force is confident in the mertis of its contract award decision and anticipates the litigation will be resolved quickly.
“The competition and source selection evaluation were fair, open and transparent,” he said.
Bill Boisture, Hawker Beechcraft chairman and CEO, said in a press release issued last week that the company still has received no concrete reasons for being excluded from the competition. He was also miffed by the failure of the Air Force to expeditiously publicize the contract award as required by federal regulations.
“This is yet another example of the Air Force’s lack of transparency throughout this competition,” Boisture said.
Sierra Nevada issued a statement Wednesday defending the competition process as “fair and open” and noted that the General Accounting Office had dismissed Beechcraft’s protest.
Beechcraft was told on Nov. 4 that its AT-6 Texan II had been eliminated from the competition after failing to meet unspecified requirements.
Kansas Reps. Tim Huelskamp and Mike Pompeo, both Republicans, have also questioned the contract award.
The Air Force expects delivery of the 20 single-engine turboprop aircraft by April 30, 2014. The Air Force expects the aircraft will be used in Afghanistan.