Patriot Update

Seeing the American president traveling around the globe, almost begging other nations to ramp up their energy production with billions of U.S. dollars is not just embarrassing; it’s incomprehensible given the extraordinary, untapped energy reserves available right here at home, especially in my home state of Alaska.

Now the administration seems to be moving even more U.S. dollars to Brazil. In a little-covered story from a few days ago, it was revealed that the Air Force has turned down the bid from American aircraft manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft to produce a light attack armed reconnaissance aircraft. Hawker Beechcraft is based in Kansas and employs around 1,400 workers in 20 states. According to the company, $100 million had been invested over a two-year period in working with the Air Force in developing its AT-6 aircraft.

The winner of the nearly $1 billion dollar decision to terminate Hawker appears to be the Brazilian aircraft company Embraer and its “Super Tucano” airplane. It’s odd that the Air Force would prefer U.S. pilots to fly in war zones in planes constructed in Brazil by Brazilian workers. Stranger yet, the favored company, Embraer, has recently been placed under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for corruption.