CENTRAL ASIA: AIRLINES WITH TIES TO BLACKWATER HAS LONG RECORD OF SERVICE IN REGION
Deirdre Tynan
Eurasia Insight
ghtb/articles/eav032210.shtml
3/22/10
A company with ties to Blackwater, the controversial private security
firm now known as Xe, has been ferrying US government-directed
cargos over the past five-plus years across Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Afghanistan and Pakistan. In addition, the company may be a candidate
to continue its services for years to come, if a Sources Sought
Announcement posted by the US Defense Department becomes a live
contract.
Presidential Airways, which numerous Department of Defense documents
identify as "[doing business as] Blackwater Aviation," provides Short
Take-Off and Landing air services in an area of responsibility that
includes Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Presidential Airways has its head office in Moyock, North Carolina.
The company secured its first contract in September 2004, covering
"airlift in and around the Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan
area of responsibility." In September 2007 Presidential Airways won a
contract worth $92 million to perform "passenger, cargo and combi Short
Take-Off and Landing air transportation services between locations
in the Area of Responsibility of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan
and Uzbekistan." A modification to the 2007 contract HTC711-08-D-0010
says that services performed under the agreement are "expected to be
completed [by] Sept., 30, 2011."
Between 2004 and 2008, Presidential Airways netted contracts worth
at least $192.1 million to cover the Central Asian region. The 2008
award for "Pressurized Short Take-Off and Landing Airlift Services
for US Central Command" names Manas, Kyrgyzstan, and Karshi-Khanabad,
Uzbekistan, as "potential" landing locations. However, "specific
locations will be provided at the time of mission scheduling," the
award adds. The US air base at Karshi-Khanabad was vacated in late
2005. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
According to a recent Sources Sought Announcement, Army Contracting
Command is looking to "determine interest in a multi-year services
contract for fixed-wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, equipment,
tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform
passenger and cargo combination (COMBI) and Low-Cost Low-Altitude
(LCLA) airdrop operations using Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) air
transportation services between locations in the Area of Responsibility
(AOR) Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan." The contract
would be for a base year, along with four one-year options, meaning
the potential contract potentially covers up to five years.
"The contractor shall provide all direct labor, transportation,
supervision, training, fixed-wing aircraft, administrative support
for conducting air operations and all other items and services
necessary to perform Air Support Services (parachute operations)
for Government-directed aerial delivery missions," the announcement
added on February 18, 2010.
Presidential Airways representatives did not respond to queries from
EurasiaNet, but documents released under the Freedom of Information
Act in 2007, and now publicly available on US Transportation Command’s
website, reveal the company’s Bagram-based fleet for STOL services in
Central Asia as of 2007 included 9 CASA 212-200; 2 Fairchild SA-227;
2 Eurocopter SA-330; 1 DeHavilland DHC-8 and 1 Cessna CE-208.
Presidential Airways is also approved to "provide on-demand operational
paratroop and airborne jump support to all military services under
a Special Operations Command contract."
STOL/LCLA services appeal to the military because of their cost
effectiveness. STOL/LCLA operations are typically used to deliver
small numbers of passengers, both military and civilian contractors,
food, medical supplies, propaganda and weapons into remote areas.
The 2008 contract for airlift services for US Central Command states
that "the government requires passengers to carry a full compliment
of munitions and explosives necessary to execute their mission as
well as other [hazardous materials]."
A Presidential Airways contractor performance assessment report for
2004-2005 stated: "Presidential has transported 7,072 passengers,
902,664 lbs. of cargo, and 833,048 lbs. of mail to various locations."
"Without this carrier’s support, the Helicopter task force currently
in Pakistan would have ground to a halt," the assessment continued.
"Their service for light airborne operations (mostly leaflet drops)
has saved the government over $40,000 in costs compared with either
a C-130 or Helicopters."
A similar assessment for 2005-2006 stated: "Blackwater has transported
12,987 passengers. 1,789,945 lbs. of cargo, and 942.666 lbs. of mail
to various locations throughout the Combined Joint Operations Area
(CJOA). These numbers represent an 84 percent increase in passenger
movement, a 98 percent increase in cargo and a 13 percent increase
in mail movement compared to the same period the previous year."
By 2006-2007, operations had increased to "28,379 passengers,
2,950,331 lbs. of cargo, and 3,693,668 lbs. of mail" throughout
the area of responsibility, according to that year’s contractor
performance assessment.
A separate solicitation issued on February 25, 2010, to provide
fixed-wing transportation services for US Central Command and the
National Geospatial Agency (NGA), to which Presidential Airways is
listed as an interested vendor, also includes Karshi-Khanabad as one
of 16 airfields that could be potentially used within the scope of
the contract.
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is a "Department of Defense
combat support agency, and a member of the national Intelligence
Community, [developing] imagery and map-based intelligence solutions"
according to its website.
Posted March 22, 2010 © Eurasianet