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SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — A subsidiary of U.S. military security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has purchased a fighter plane from the Brazilian aviation company Embraer, a Brazilian newspaper reported Sunday.
The 314-B1 Super Tucano propeller-driven fighter — the same used by the Brazilian military — was bought for $4.5 million and delivered to EP Aviation at the end of February, according to the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper.
The report included the plane's registration number with the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency, and the FAA website confirmed it is registered by EP Aviation.
It was not clear if it was Embraer's first sale of a military-style aircraft to a private company. EP Aviation has 33 planes and helicopters registered with the FAA, according to the agency's website, only one of which is from Embraer.
Originally posted by Animal
reply to post by _Del_
First off, what is a "COIN Aircraft"? I simply am a nub when it comes to military stuff.
Secondly, although this did not turn out to be the fighter jet I was picturing it still amazes me a private company can purchase such high scale (relatively) arms.
I remember as a kid when i would watch moves like James Bond and the bad guys had all sorts of outlandish equipment I would think to myself, who (government) in their right mind would allow private citizens to acquire so much hard ware? I guess my question has been answered!
Originally posted by Res Ipsahow high can a prop plane fly? Do they need all that gear? Or was it just a part of the propaganda video?
Seriously though, I hate the idea of some private security company having this kind of hardware.
Originally posted by The Nighthawk
Originally posted by Animal
I remember as a kid when i would watch moves like James Bond and the bad guys had all sorts of outlandish equipment I would think to myself, who (government) in their right mind would allow private citizens to acquire so much hard ware? I guess my question has been answered!
You and me both. SPECTRE had a friggin' hollowed-out volcano-turned-rocket-base!! With that kind of cash and tech why would Blofeld bother starting wars when he could have simply bought all the world's leaders and turned them against their peoples? Oh wait... Blofeld... Cheney... OMG!!!?!?!?!!!
Too funny man, too funny. A little scary too. Thanks for the replys as well.
Originally posted by The Nighthawk
COunter INsurgency. Basically a weapon for asymmetrical warfare against less heavily-armed, unregimented opponents.
Originally posted by The NighthawkAnd yes, it is rather unsettling that a private company has been allowed to essentially raise its own army and begin its own air force. The Constitution actually forbids it...