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Hawker Beechcraft’s debtors have successfully applied to United States Bankruptcy Court to overturn the company’s exclusivity arrangement with Raytheon Australia to offer the T-6 platform for AIR 5428.
Court documents filed on August 22 state that Hawker Beechcraft’s debtors found the agreement was “unnecessary and burdensome to the Debtors’ ongoing business operations”. The court issued an order approving the rejected contract on September 11.
A Hawker Beechcraft spokesperson told Australian Aviation sister magazine ADBR: “The US Chapter 11 restructuring process requires that Hawker Beechcraft review all existing contracts and agreements to ensure the company emerges in the strongest possible financial position. As part of that process, the company has ended exclusive teaming agreements, including its exclusive arrangement with Raytheon Australia for the sale of the T-6C in the AIR 5428 program.
“Our intent is to continue to work with the Raytheon Australia team in AIR 5428 on a non-exclusive basis. This development also means that the T-6C is now potentially available to other interested Australian industry partners who are evaluating the opportunity to prime bids for AIR 5428 by offering the T-6. Hawker Beechcraft has longstanding relationships with many of the defence companies in Australia and is in preliminary discussions with several about opportunities to work together. We believe the T-6C is the best training aircraft solution for the Australian Defence Force, and having additional industry partners offering the aircraft will benefit the Commonwealth by delivering more choices and the best value in the AIR 5428 program.”
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2012, and subsequently accepted an offer for purchase by Superior Aviation Beijing.
