Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has signed an agreement to purchase an A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft from Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer.
The deal precedes an anticipated US foreign military sales (FMS) contract that has yet to clear approval by the State Department and Congress. The customer nation has not been disclosed.
SNC’s early purchase is meant to allow pilot training to start quickly once a contract is finalized and could cut the time needed to bring the aircraft into service by up to a year.
Production will take place at Embraer’s defense facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
“It is with great satisfaction that we see the A-29 made in the United States continuing its successful history,” said Frederico Lemos, chief commercial officer of Embraer Defense & Security.
“At the same time, we are confident that our relationship with SNC, which extends for more than 10 years, will continue to expand given that an increased number of FMS customers are seeing a growing need for this sort of capability.”
More than 290 units of the A-29 have been ordered worldwide, logging over 600,000 flight hours, including 60,000 in combat. The aircraft is currently flown by 22 air forces, among them Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Portugal, and the US.
In their decade-long partnership, Embraer and SNC have delivered nearly 50 Super Tucanos worldwide.
Embraer’s Super Tucano
The A-29 Super Tucano is a turboprop aircraft built for light attack, close air support, reconnaissance, and training. It can operate in complex domains and take off from short or unpaved runways.
Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine producing about 1,600 horsepower, the aircraft can reach speeds of 320 knots (368 miles/593 kilometers per hour), fly at altitudes up to 35,000 feet (10,668 meters), and cover a range of 720 nautical miles (829 miles/1,333 kilometers).
The plane, measuring 36 feet (11 meters) in both length and wingspan, can be armed with machine guns, cannons, precision-guided bombs, and air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles.
The aircraft is equipped with computerized weapons controls, secure communications, modern navigation, night vision, and high-resolution sensors, enabling it to carry out combat missions and pilot training.
