The USAF has selected the A-29 Super Tucano for its Light Air Support program. The Super Tucano was designed by the Brazilian-based company Embraer but will contract out to Florida-based Sierra Nevada to complete 20 Super Tucanos for $427.5 million. They will be sent to Afghanistan and be given to the Afghan Air Force as US forces leave the country. The Light Air Support program has faced harsh criticism from Air Force officials in the past who did not want to buy low-cost propeller driven attack planes but in times of tightening budgets and the need to hand off aircraft that Afghans will find useful and operable the low cost, high capacity Super Tucano won the contract over some interesting rivals.
On February 18th Afghan President Hamid Karzai banned Afghan forces from calling in NATO airstrikes in residential areas. This is in response to an airstrike which killed 4 militants and ten civilians the previous week. The order, directed at the defense ministry, the interior ministry, and the National Directorate of Security states that, "During operations, you do not call for air support from international forces operations in residential areas." Currently, NATO forces only use airstrikes as a last resort in defensive conditions. The NATO rule went into effect last June when 18 civilians were killed in an airstrike at what turned out to be a wedding. US forces say they will abide by the new rule and that it will not impede security functions.
