Brazil’s Embraer announced at the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) on 23 July 2024 that it has sold six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to the Paraguayan Air Force (FAP).
The contract, the value of which was not disclosed, includes mission equipment and an integrated logistics services agreement, with deliveries to take place from 2025.
The multi-mission A-29 is expected to operate across a variety of roles in FAP service, including armed reconnaissance, air patrolling, close air support, light attack and advanced training missions.
“We are honoured by the Paraguayan Air Force decision and very pleased to be able to announce more A-29 Super Tucano sales, which is a leading aircraft in the international market in its segment,” Fabio Caparica, Embraer Defense & Security’s commercial vice president for Latin America, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “We are confident that the A-29 meets the current and future needs of the FAP.”
“The Paraguayan Air Force has the constitutional mission of safeguarding territorial integrity and, within its scope, exercising effective sovereignty over airspace, facing new threats, such as combating drug trafficking and transnational organised crime”, added FAP Commander General Júlio Rubén Fullaondo Céspedes. “To face emerging threats, we are in the process of modernising our aerial and detection capabilities, and we intend to be up to the technological standards that allow us to correctly apply the measures established in the Law on Surveillance and Protection of Paraguayan Airspace to effectively contribute to the preservation of regional and international peace and security”.
According to Embraer, the Super Tucano has secured over 260 orders, with the worldwide fleet surpassing 550,000 flight hours, 60,000 of which have been in combat. As well as serving with the Brazilian Air Force, the aircraft is also operated by more than a dozen other air forces.
“The A-29 Super Tucano is the most effective multi-mission aircraft in its category, equipped with state-of-the-art technology for precise target identification, weapons systems, and a comprehensive communications suite,” Embraer stated. “Its capability is further enhanced by advanced HMI avionics systems integrated into a robust airframe capable of operating from unpaved runways, in austere environments and without infrastructure. Furthermore, the aircraft has a simple maintenance concept, which offers high levels of reliability, availability, and structural integrity with low life-cycle costs.”
