Portugal has approved the acquisition of 12 A-29N Super Tucano aircraft from Embraer as part of its plan released in June to expand its military’s ground attack capabilities.
The 200-million-euro ($210.2 million) investment will see the delivery of 12 planes, a flight simulator, and corresponding support and logistics services for the Portuguese Air Force, a report from Tunis-based AMAN said.
The Super Tucano variants are configured according to NATO standards, with its avionics to include single-pilot operation and modern data link functions.
Upon the fleet’s arrival, Lisbon will become the first European government to operate the specialized aircraft.
Multiple news sources predict that the incoming A-29Ns will replace the Portuguese Air Force’s ex-German Dassault/Dornier Alpha light attack operational since the 1990s and decommissioned in 2018.
Portugal and Embraer’s Defense Cooperation
Portugal’s decision to adopt the Embraer’s Super Tucano comes after “technical and negotiating discussions” facilitated through a cabinet resolution in July.
In April 2023, Embraer signed an agreement with Portuguese industrial partners to boost the country’s local advancements to benefit its national defense capabilities.
The same month, the Brazilian aerospace company launched its proprietary Super Tucano platform in its latest NATO variant.
The A-29 Super Tucano
The Super Tucano’s base model measures 11 meters (36 feet) long and has an empty weight of 3,200 kilograms (7,055 pounds).
It is equipped with internal and wing-mounted machine guns, under-fuselage cannons, miniguns, rockets, air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles, countermeasures, and guided and unguided bombs.
The plane is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68C turboprop engine with 1,600 horsepower and a five-bladed Hartzell propeller a top speed of 590 kilometers (367 miles) per hour, an altitude of 10,600 meters (34,776 feet), and a range of 2,800 kilometers (1,740 miles).
