[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 76 (Thursday, May 10, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1230
                A-29 SUPER TUCANO SUCCESS IN AFGHANISTAN

  (Mr. RUTHERFORD asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the success of 
the A-29 Super Tucano light-attack combat aircraft in Afghanistan, a 
joint U.S. Air Force, NATO, and Afghan Air Force program.
  Starting in December of 2015, the 81st Fighter Squadron at Moody Air 
Force Base graduated the first class of Afghan A-29 pilots, and this 
April marked the 2-year anniversary of these pilots' first combat 
mission in Afghanistan, a remarkable milestone.
  As one U.S. Armed Forces commander stated: The A-29 combat mission in 
Afghanistan has been a game changer. The program's success has drawn 
the attention of our allies with more than 14 air forces using the A-29 
and over 320,000 flight hours and 40,000 combat hours. Even our own Air 
Force is currently conducting experimentation on adding this light-
attack aircraft to the fleet.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this contribution in part because, since 
2011, the A-29 has been built in my district in Jacksonville, Florida, 
by a team of more than 1,000 U.S. employees, 60 percent of which, Mr. 
Speaker, are veterans. The A-29 is truly made in America and includes 
the support of more than 100 suppliers and subcontractors across 20 
States.

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