Story ID: 305EmbraerSuperTucano
A-29 has Asia-Pacific appeal, says Embraer
By: Bill Carey
Caption: The A-29 Super Tucano on display at the Singapore Airshow is more than a sporty turboprop
Word Count: 440
The A-29 Super Tucano on display at the Singapore Airshow is more than a sporty turboprop with a fancy paint scheme–the type has accumulated 33,000 combat hours, manufacturer Embraer is quick to note. That ongoing legacy should help make the case for countries in the Asia-Pacific region that have a requirement for a light attack or counterinsurgency asset, the Brazilian company believes.

“For any air force that is facing threats right now in terms of terrorist attacks–for counterinsurgency types of applications–- the Super Tucano is really the best machine,” said José Luis Molina, Embraer Defense and Security senior commercial v-p. “It has been used successfully by the Colombian air force and we have other countries in Africa that are using the aircraft right now to face real threats they have.”

Embraer (Booth CD31, OD-03) has supplied more than 200 Super Tucanos to a dozen air forces on three continents. Last month, the first four of 20 A-29s the Afghan air force will deploy against Taliban insurgents arrived in Kabul. Embraer and partner Sierra Nevada Corporation are supplying Super Tucanos to Afghanistan under the U.S. Light Air Support program.

Since late 2012, Embraer has supplied 12 Super Tucanos to the Indonesian air force; it expected to deliver four more airplanes to complete the order by the end of February. Fitted with two wing-mounted .50 caliber machine guns and five hard points capable of carrying 1,500 kg (3,306 pounds) of rockets, bombs or missiles, the A-29 holds appeal for other militaries in the region, said Molina, who hinted at other sales campaigns now underway.

The Super Tucano on display made its debut at the Dubai Airshow in November. Most recently, the airplane stopped for light maintenance at the OGMA facility in Alverca, Portugal, following demonstrations Embraer conducted for military services in north Africa. The demonstrator was enroute to Singapore earlier this month.

Embraer will also promote its portfolio of special-mission aircraft at Singapore, including conversions of the Legacy 650 and Lineage 1000 business jets for VIP transport, and interior swap-outs that convert a business jet into a medevac platform. It has also developed the EMB-145 regional airliner as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform for India, Mexico, Greece and Brazil in partnership with other companies.

“We have been able to adapt these different platforms to address the needs of our customers in the defense and security areas,” said Molina. “We continue to explore this segment of the market because we have a very reliable and diversified portfolio in terms of civil aircraft that can be easily converted to address these types of needs.”