Beechcraft protests Air Force contract decision again

The protest is the second time Beechcraft is attempting to
stop the Air Force from moving forward with the contract to build 20 Embraer
Super Tucano planes for the Afghans.

{mosads}Last year, after then-named Hawker Beechcraft filed suit,
the Pentagon scrapped its contract award to Embraer and required the companies
to re-submit bids for the Air Force contract. The Air Force said it had
canceled the contract award due to internal documentation problems.

But this year the contract was once again awarded to Embraer
and Sierra Nevada.

Wichita, Kan.-based Beechcraft emerged from bankruptcy last
month, and the company had hoped that winning the contract for its AT-6 planes
would have helped it move forward.

Beechcraft said in its statement that 1,400 jobs are in
jeopardy as a result of the Air Force decision.