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 June 1.
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.
Blackwater already has helicopters, and the Super Tucano isn't exactly an air superiority aircraft, so this represents a change in degree rather than a change in kind. Still, it results in an increase in Blackwater's capabilities, and could open new doors for Blackwater in terms of training; the company does quite a lot of training of foreign military organizations, and the possession of fixed wing aircraft could allow penetration of a wider market. In other words, the Super Tucano may be intended more for Blackwater's training business than for its actual counter-insurgency operations. In any case, we appear to be entering a new golden age for the private military professional...
--Robert Farley
