There has been continuing overage in Brazil of the Super Tucano disaster.
Recently, William Burns was in Rio to prepare for visit of Dilma Rousseff in April.
He was quoted as saying by the “Folha de Sao Paulo” that the US was “still interested” in Super Tucano and also said the cancellation “did not prejudice the position of the F-18 in the completion for the Brazilian air force.”
He “did not see the two issues as linked,” and said that the transfer of technology “was equal to that NATO allies had”…
“Folha” also quoted General Norton Schwartz as saying that cancellation was “shameful and disappointing”..not only “because of our institutional reputation but also because our Afghan partners need these resources.”
He said the process would be over by the 12th of March.
Itamaraty, the Brazilian foreign ministry issued a note, also quoted in the Brazilian coverage saying that they were “very disappointed” by the decision.
The Second Line of Defense team took a reality check on all of this and our findings are as follows:
Secretary Burns apparently does not understand how the USAF action technically and legally ended the entire process.
The Federal Acquisition Regulations or FAR now takes over and the process is now undoubtedly lengthy and almost certainly outside of the USAF’s control.
In fact, an individual at Secretary Burn’s rank with a current open Federal Court Case and also the possibility of a competitive re-compete may have just given HawkerBeech more legal grounds to try and stop the Super Tucano.
Additionally, on this issue the USAF legally should not investigate itself.
Although still unclear it appears that an USAF quick look preliminary “Investigation” may be due back on the 12th of March.
This is also the time when a Federal Judge was continuing to get results about ALL aspects of the selection process which now may have been rendered moot by the USAF actions.
This entire issue is quickly becoming a legendary, political, legal and diplomatic mess of the first order. It is another case of how Inside the Beltway myopia is confused with the real world.