Paris Air Show 2025: Embraer celebrates Super Tucano fleet clocking up 600,000 flight hours

At the 2025 Paris Air Show in le Bourget on 19 June Brazil’s Embraer celebrated its A-29 Super Tucano turboprop trainer/light attack aircraft fleet worldwide clocking up 600,000 flight hours.

Selected by 22 air forces worldwide, the Super Tucano was developed from the EMB-312 Tucano trainer and first flew on 2 June 1999. Since entering production in 2003, more than 260 of the type have been produced.

Compared to the EMB-312, the Super Tucano received a more powerful engine (a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68C); a more rugged airframe and reinforced landing gear, allowing it to operate from unpaved runways; armour protection; two internal, wing-mounted .50 cal machine guns; and five hardpoints (compared to four on the Tucano).

The Super Tucano first entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2003, fulfilling a key role conducting border patrols as part of Brazil’s Amazon Surveillance System (SIVAM) programme. Other missions performed by the Super Tucano include advanced pilot training; close air support; air patrolling and interdiction; Joint Terminal Attack Controller training; armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and air escort dutues.

In April 2023 the manufacturer announced the NATO-interoperable A-29N variant. This aircraft was selected by Portugal in June 2024 and a contract for 12 A-29Ns was signed by the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence in December 2024.

“It is a privilege to share this key achievement in the successful trajectory of the leading aircraft in its category,” Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The A-29 Super Tucano is the only light attack, armed reconnaissance and advanced training turboprop aircraft in production, with proven performance in combat around the world,” he added.