DLA junks $500 million of planes meant for Afghan Air Force

[Brian4Liberty]

Now isn't that generous of the "U.S. government" to buy planes for Afghanistan?

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DLA junks multimillion planes for Afghan Air Force, sells scrap for 6 cents a pound


Sixteen unusable transport aircraft that the U.S. government bought for the Afghan Air Force have been scrapped for pennies on the dollar, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

All told, the Defense Department spent $486 million for 20 G222 planes, of which 16 were sold as scrap to an Afghan construction company for about $32,000, the office announced Thursday in a news release. The remaining four planes are being stored at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

The Air Force let the contract for the planes — designated as C-27As by the U.S. government — with Alenia Aermacchi North America expire in March 2013 because the planes were often grounded due to a lack of spare parts.
...
“Despite spending at least $486.1 million in acquisition and sustainment costs on the program, DODIG [Defense Department Inspector General’s office] reported the aircraft flew only 234 of 4,500 required hours from January through September 2012,” Sopko wrote in the Dec. 5 letter. “The DODIG also concluded that an additional $200 million in Afghan Security Forces Funds might have been spent on spare parts for the aircraft to meet operational requirements, noting that several critical spare parts for the aircraft were unavailable.”
...
http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20141009/NEWS/310090068/DLA-junks-multimillion-planes-Afghan-Air-Force-sells-scrap-6-cents-pound

[HOLLYWOOD]

What a load of crap in the government's response/justification.

No problem keeping 10,000 US troops in Afghanistan forever at a cost of whatever... your tax dollars at work waste.

There is no other entity that is more irresponsible, reckless, and wasteful on planet earth, than the U.S. government. Half a Billion down the drain... hah... not our money they say.

PS: WTF? Volvo heavy machinery doing the destroying of aircraft too? I thought the Fascist US government lined the pockets of their John Deere, Caterpillar, et al, campaign donators inside the DC beltway? Oh, I forgot, this is the covert payback bullshit to the International Security Assistance Force (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Security_Assistance_Force) (ISAF) coalition propaganda to co-conspirators.

...same old kickbacks via the US taxpayers for throwing token propaganda forces in Global War Of Tyranny (GWOT).


http://kwout.com/cutout/u/ts/5m/v7g_bor.jpg

[XNavyNuke]

Well, obviously none of our police departments could afford to pay a pilot to fly them back stateside. Darn shame too. You KNOW that there are at least a score of SWAT units, and a school district or two, that were just drooling at the thought of getting something to convert into a gunship. I hope police unions pull their support from their senators when they find out about this oversight.

XNN

[Brian4Liberty]

Well, obviously none of our police departments could afford to pay a pilot to fly them back stateside. Darn shame too. You KNOW that there are at least a score of SWAT units, and a school district or two, that were just drooling at the thought of getting something to convert into a gunship. I hope police unions pull their support from their senators when they find out about this oversight.

XNN

And how much of the "excess equipment and supplies" could be flown back in one of those for the price of fuel?

[Zippyjuan]

Seems the problem was available parts and difficulty of maintainance. They couldn't keep the things flying.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/c-27as-for-the-afghan-air-force-05094/


The USAF has operated C-27As in the past, but Afghan aircraft are all former Italian Air Force machines built to different production standards from 1977 – 1985. Alenia Aeronautica had bought them back when the Italian government bought C-27Js, and an opportunity to re-sell and service them was attractive on several fronts. Because of the different configurations for individual planes, however, the contract stipulated that all aircraft had to be brought to common avionics and systems configuration, including a new autopilot and ballistic protection.

The G.222/C-27A was not known as an easy aircraft to maintain, but it does feature outstanding short runway performance, and offers proven performance in hot weather and high altitudes. That seemed to make it well-suited for work in Afghanistan.

The key was keeping them in the air. The USAF tried to address the spares and maintenance issue through the program via extensive training through the US military, an initial spare parts inventory, ground support equipment, technical publications in English and Dari, and 3 years worth of contractor logistics support. By 2012, it was clear that this wasn’t working, and the Afghan fleet of 15 was effectively grounded. By the end of 2013, the program was canceled, and the USAF moved to scrap both the contract and the planes.


The SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan) is investigating the C-27A contract. The 16 planes in Kabul are reportedly unflyable after logging only just of 4,500 planned hours in 2012, and having 6 cannibalized for spare parts. There are another 4 in Germany. USAF Lt. Gen. Charles Davis was unsparing, citing the plane’s issues in the hot, dusty environment, and saying that:

“Just about everything you can think of was wrong for it other than the airplane was built for the size of cargo and mission they needed…. Other than that, it didn’t really meet any of the requirements…. It was contractor performance, [pilot recruitment], a very unsustainable airframe…. everything you could think of that went into this…. We looked for buyers, people to accept those, and nobody was interested in trying to maintain an airplane that was no longer sustainable,…”

[jclay2]

Yep Zippy, I am sure the decision to sell each of these planes for 2k was a great decision.

[Brian4Liberty]

Yep Zippy, I am sure the decision to sell each of these planes for 2k was a great decision.

Purchasing them for $500 million is also worth questioning.

[kcchiefs6465]

Seems the problem was available parts and difficulty of maintainance. They couldn't keep the things flying.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/c-27as-for-the-afghan-air-force-05094/
Oh...... so that was the problem?

Here I thought they just pissed away money.

[HOLLYWOOD]

Here's a lite snack... as if anyone had any doubts :rolleyes:

http://kwout.com/cutout/6/wr/yv/7gy_bor.jpg
Aeritalia G.222 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeritalia_G.222)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeritalia_G.222

In Bold... and cited

In September 2008, Alenia North America was awarded a USAF contract to upgrade and refurbish 18 G.222s, to be transferred to and used by the Afghan Air Force (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Air_Force) and Afghan National Army Air Corps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_National_Army_Air_Corps). Ballistic protection, adaptations for serving in the conditions of Afghanistan, and many new avionics systems, including a digital auto-pilot, were installed; two aircraft were also configured for VIP transport duties.[22] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeritalia_G.222#cite_note-g.222_afghan-22)[24] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeritalia_G.222#cite_note-24) In January 2013, the USAF decided not to renew the support contract for the Afghan fleet due to claimed servicability issues and operational difficulties; Alenia responded, stating that the fleet was exceeding the requirements laid out by the USAF, with 10-12 aircraft available for operations against the requirement for six.[25] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeritalia_G.222#cite_note-aw_afghan-25) The 16 G.222s delivered to Afghanistan were scrapped in the summer of 2014 by the Defense Logistics Agency (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Logistics_Agency).[26] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeritalia_G.222#cite_note-g.222_scrap-26) After the U.S. spent $486 million to buy 20 C-27As, 16 were sold as scrap to an Afghan construction company for about $32,000; the planes were scrapped "to minimize impact on drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan." The four remaining aircraft are stored at Ramstein Air Base (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramstein_Air_Base), Germany, with the U.S. seeking other interested buyers. From January to September 2012, the Afghan C-27A fleet flew only 234 out of 4,500 required hours.[27] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeritalia_G.222#cite_note-27)

[tangent4ronpaul]

two aircraft were also configured for VIP transport duties

but, but, but...

-t

[Zippyjuan]

Purchasing them for $500 million is also worth questioning.
That is the biggest problem. They shouldn't have even bought them.

[nobody's_hero]

That is the biggest problem. They shouldn't have even bought them.

Indeed. There is incredible waste all around.

However, on the bright side, if they were truly scrapped and don't end up on the black market somewhere, I suppose it is marginally better than giving them to Afghans. The last time we helped someone in Afghanistan fight against someone else, a few decades later that dude with a beard was encouraging people to fly planes into buildings.

So what were we about to do? Give them planes. It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

Then we've got ISIS riding around in American tanks and hum-vees. I mean, we're basically supplying our own demise here.

[Pericles]

It gets better - the $25 mil each planes that were scrapped because the Afghan Air Force couldn't keep them flying are being replaced by $40 nil each C-130s. Wait for it - the Afghans have almost one complete air crew capable of flying C-130s.

[phill4paul]

I no longer get as angry as I used to since i quit paying federal income tax.

[muh_roads]

I no longer get as angry as I used to since i quit paying federal income tax.

NSA's ICREACH is a useful tool for IRS agents.

Is it time to leave the US yet? I think it is.

[fisharmor]

It should be mentioned that 6 cents a pound is not even scrap price.

My daughter and I were recycling cans recently and got better than 45 cents a pound. And that was just cans. The alloys that are used in aircraft are way more valuable, even as scrap.

Whoever got those planes made out like bandits.

[luctor-et-emergo]

The cockpit instruments on one of these planes alone are probably worth 32k. Waste of money.
Couldn't they have at least given the Afghans a load of spare parts from the 16 that they now scrapped ?

[fisharmor]

Also, I like how we've discovered that one of the problems is that they had 100% too many full planes,
and also how we've discovered that there was a crippling lack of spare parts....

What I can safely conclude is that the people operating that program had a crippling lack of giveashit.
The answer to both problems is within the problem statements themselves.

[luctor-et-emergo]

The four remaining aircraft are stored at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, with the U.S. seeking other interested buyers. From January to September 2012, the Afghan C-27A fleet flew only 234 out of 4,500 required hours.[27]\

For 2k Each ? I'll buy all four.

[fisharmor]

The cockpit instruments on one of these planes alone are probably worth 32k. Waste of money.
Couldn't they have at least given the Afghans a load of spare parts from the 16 that they now scrapped ?
beaten to the punch...

[Brian4Liberty]

It gets better - the $25 mil each planes that were scrapped because the Afghan Air Force couldn't keep them flying are being replaced by $40 nil each C-130s. Wait for it - the Afghans have almost one complete air crew capable of flying C-130s.

It figures. Do you have a link on that? Is it too late to protest it?

[Wolfgang Bohringer]

Just upgrading the equipment for a very profitable business.
"Big Oil" may have been a big factor in the destruction of Iraq, but Afghanistan has always been about "Big Drugs"


many new avionics systems, including a digital auto-pilot, were installed

I seem to remember a story a few years ago about auto-piloted U.S. military transport planes shipping heroin. I can't find it now amidst all the other stories of U.S. military transport planes shipping heroin out of Afghanistan.