Wings for hire? Ex-Blackwater CEO Erik Prince reportedly offering private air force for Afghan War

‘Former Blackwater founder Erik Prince, who earlier urged Donald Trump to appoint a US “viceroy” to win the Afghan war, has reportedly pitched up a “business proposal” to Kabul, offering a fully-fledged private air force to back the local army’s operations.
Prince, the founder and former CEO of private military company Blackwater (now rebranded Academi), has floated a business proposal offering a privately-manned “turn-key composite air wing” to the Afghan government, whose troops steadily lose ground to the Taliban, the Military Times reported on Thursday.
Prince’s plan, cited by the newspaper, was reportedly submitted to the Afghans back in March. It includes providing “high speed response” as well as close-air support for Afghanistan’s army fighting the Islamists. The private air force’s fixed-wing planes, attack helicopters and drones would be flown by hired pilots, but “weapons release decisions will still be made by Afghans.”’
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