Embraer will deliver six A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft to the Paraguayan Air Force (FAP) as part of a deal signed during the Farnborough International Airshow 2024.
According to the Brazilian aerospace firm, the aircraft will provide Paraguay with operational flexibility critical for conducting armed reconnaissance and close air support missions.
“We are confident that the A-29 meets the current and future needs of the FAP,” Embraer Commercial VP for Latin America Fabio Caparica said without disclosing the total value of the contract.
In addition to the single-engine aircraft, the company said it will provide necessary mission equipment and logistics support services.
Deliveries are expected to begin in 2025.
Modernizing Aerial Capabilities
First introduced in 2003, the A-29 Super Tucano has been targeted primarily for smaller air forces.
It is regarded by Embraer as a global leader in its category, surpassing 500,000 flight hours, including 60,000 in combat.
The aircraft is armed with two .50-caliber machine guns and boasts “state-of-the-art technologies” for precise target identification.
According to FAP Commander Júlio Rubén Fullaondo Céspedes, the acquisition will help the service safeguard Paraguay’s territorial integrity and exercise effective sovereignty over its airspace.
It is also expected to help the FAP face current and emerging threats, such as drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.
“We are in the process of modernizing our aerial and detection capabilities,” he said. “We intend to be up to the technological standards… to effectively contribute to the preservation of regional and international peace and security.”