Embraer and Hawker prepare for new dogfight

Brazil’s Embraer and US rival Hawker Beechcraft are set to rejoin hostilities in their fight over a politically charged contract to provide the US Air Force with light attack aircraft.

Embraer, the world’s third largest commercial aircraft builder, said late Tuesday that it was preparing to file a new bid to win back the contract to supply the aircraft for use in Afghanistan, which it won last year only to see it abruptly cancelled earlier this year.

The Air Force restarted the competition last week with an amended request for proposals that included a condition Embraer said would favour the bidder that can prove their combat aircraft has more past operational experience.

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