Embraer has signed a contract to supply four A-29 Super Tucano light attack and trainer aircraft for an African customer.
The planes will be utilized for “a wide spectrum” of missions, including counterinsurgency, close air support, advanced flight training, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance across the country’s territory.
The Brazilian company noted that the procurement makes the military user the sixth operator of the Super Tucano in the African region.
“The A-29 Super Tucano is an extremely versatile aircraft that is able to carry out the most challenging missions under the most demanding conditions,” Embraer Defense & Security CEO and President Bosco da Costa Jr. commented.
“It is the world leader in its category as it combines a combat-proven track record with advanced technology.”
Latest Orders
Embraer’s latest sale follows Lisbon’s acquisition approval last month of the firm’s NATO-configured Super Tucano for the Portuguese Air Force.
A month earlier, Brazil offered a loan to Paraguay to support the South American ally’s procurement of six A-29s for its military.
In October, the US Air Force accepted three of the aircraft to improve the service’s test and training operations in California.
Embraer also accepted a separate contract in August to ship up to six Super Tucanos for the Uruguayan Air Force.
Embraer’s Super Tucano
The A-29 Super Tucano is fitted with machine guns, miniguns, cannons,multi-domain missiles, countermeasures, and guided and unguided explosives.
Its airframe measures 11 meters (36 feet) and weighs 3,200 kilograms (7,055 pounds).
The aircraft is equipped with a 1,600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada turboprop engine and a five-bladed Hartzell propeller for a maximum speed of 590 kilometers (367 miles) per hour, a range of up to 2,800 kilometers (1,740 miles), and a service ceiling of about 10,600 meters (34,776 feet).
