The Paraguayan Air Force has taken delivery of a Cessna SkyCourier turboprop for medical evacuations, patient transport, and disaster relief, becoming the aircraft’s first military operator in South America, according to Textron Aviation.
Itaipu Binacional, the entity jointly operated by Brazil and Paraguay, funded the purchase.
Joining the air force’s existing Cessna Grand Caravan fleet, the twin-engine SkyCourier will deliver supplies and humanitarian assistance to communities across Paraguay, including remote areas.
It can be flown by a single pilot and configured for passenger, cargo, or medical transport missions.
Cessna SkyCourier
The SkyCourier is available in a 19-passenger version and a freighter variant that can carry up to three LD3 cargo containers, with a maximum payload of 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms).
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC turboprop engines, the aircraft uses Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.
It has a maximum cruise speed of over 200 knots (370 kilometers/230 miles per hour) and a maximum range of 900 nautical miles (1,667 kilometers/1,036 miles).
Recent Contracts
The delivery adds Paraguay to Textron’s recent military customers, alongside the US and Japan.
Earlier this year, the company received a contract extension worth more than $150 million to support US military T-6 Texan II trainers over five years.
The award covers engineering, maintenance, repairs, and modifications for the US Air Force, Navy, and Army aircraft, raising the agreement’s total ceiling to $510 million.
In 2025, Japan ordered its first two Beechcraft T-6JP Texan II aircraft to replace its Fuji/Subaru T-7 trainers.
Delivery is expected in 2029 through Textron’s partner Kanematsu Corporation, with training materials included and options for additional aircraft.