South African Paramount Offers Bronco II Light Attack Plane to the US Pentagon

South-Africa based Paramount Group has pitched in its Bronco II plane for the US light attack aircraft procurement plan which is estimated at U$ 2.4 Billion.

The twin-seater aircraft is tailored for slow-speed surveillance and strike missions. Paramount Group is working with Virginia-based company Fulcrum Concepts to offer a US-made Bronco II for the Pentagon.

According to a company press release, negotiations are ongoing with "highly respected and experienced" manufacturers in the US to produce the aircraft. Speculation is that the unnamed US firm could be Boeing as it has a standing partnership with Paramount.

The US Air Force has a yet-to-be awarded contract for new light attack aircraft. The Sierra Nevada-Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, Textron AT-6 Wolverine and Scorpion were invited to a flight demonstrator in Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

This month, the Air Force announced that only the Wolverine and Super Tucano were invited back for another round of evaluations at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona this summer.

It's not clear whether the Bronco II will be able to take part in the light attack contract competition. If the Bronco II cannot compete at the current light attack aircraft capability requirement, the next contract may not come around for years.