Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano
Encyclopedia
The Embraer
EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named ALX or A-29 is a turboprop
aircraft
designed for light attack, counter insurgency
(COIN
) and pilot training missions, incorporating modern avionics
and weapons systems. It is currently in service with the air forces of Brazil
, Dominican Republic
and Colombia
, and has been ordered by the forces of Chile
and Ecuador
. Besides pilot training, it is heavily employed in monitoring operations within the Amazon Basin
.
The ALX Project was then created by the Brazilian Air Force, which was also in need of a military trainer to replace the Embraer EMB 326GB Xavante. The project of the new aircraft was suited to the Amazon region (high temperature, moisture, and precipitation; low threat). The ALX was then specified as a turboprop
engine aircraft with a long range and autonomy, able to operate in night and day, in any meteorological conditions, and able to land on short airfields lacking infrastructure.
The first flight of a single-seat Super Tucano production aircraft occurred on 2 June 1999, while the first flight of the two-seat version took place on 22 October 1999.
in a 234 million USD deal, purchased directly from the Brazilian company Embraer. The first three aircraft arrived in the morning of 14 December 2006 to the military airfield of CATAM in Bogotá
. Two more planes were delivered on the week of December 16, 2006, ten more in the first semester of 2007 and the rest in June 2008.
In 2008, the Colombian Air Force
used a Super Tucano armed with Griffin missile
s inside Ecuadorian airspace during "Operation Phoenix", destroying a guerrilla cell and killing the second-in-command chief of FARC, Raúl Reyes
. This event led to a diplomatic break
between the two countries.
In 2006, Embraer had a potential sale of 24 units to Venezuela
fall through. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
claimed the U.S. was responsible for pressuring Brazil not to sign the contract.
One Super Tucano has also been purchased by a subsidiary of Blackwater Worldwide
, an American private military contracting firm. The aircraft did not include the machine guns normally attached to the wings.
In 2008 the U.S. Navy began testing the Super Tucano at the behest of the U.S. Special Operations Command for its potential use to support special warfare operations, giving it the official U.S. designation A-29B. The Super Tucano is being offered in a U.S. Air Force competition for 100 counterinsurgency aircraft in 2009.
In December 2009, the Peruvian Air Force
was considering an order of 12 Super Tucanos. On April 12, 2010, Brazil signed a defensive pact that opened negotiations for the acquisition of 200 Super Tucanos from Embraer to U.S. forces.
(on interdiction tasks), attack and cover (on close air support
tasks), able to intercept and destroy low performance aircraft.
A-29B : Twin-seater for the same tasks as the single seat version, also used in training and advanced aerial control (on monitoring tasks).
:
:
Lebanon
:
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named ALX or A-29 is a turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
designed for light attack, counter insurgency
Counter insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
(COIN
Counter-insurgency aircraft
Counter-insurgency aircraft are a specialised variety of military light attack aircraft, designed for ground support against small, usually irregular groups of insurgents...
) and pilot training missions, incorporating modern avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
and weapons systems. It is currently in service with the air forces of Brazil
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Air Force
The Air Force of the Dominican Republic or Fuerza Aérea Dominicana, is one of the three branches of the Military of the Dominican Republic, together with the Army and the Navy.- History :...
and Colombia
Colombian Air Force
The Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of the Republic of Colombia.The Colombian Air Force is one of the three institutions of the Armed Forces of Colombia, charge according to the 1991 Constitution of the work to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's airspace to defend the...
, and has been ordered by the forces of Chile
Chilean Air Force
The Chilean Air Force is the air force of Chile, a branch of the Chilean military.-History:The first step towards the current FACh was taken by Teniente Coronel Pedro Pablo Dartnell, when he founded the Servicio de Aviación Militar de Chile on December 20, 1910, being trained as a pilot in France...
and Ecuador
Ecuadorian Air Force
The Ecuadorian Air Force is the Air arm of the Military of Ecuador and responsible for the protection of the Ecuadorian airspace.-Mission:To develop the military air wing, in order to execute institutional objectives which guarantee sovereignty and contribute towards the nation's security and...
. Besides pilot training, it is heavily employed in monitoring operations within the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
.
Design and development
The request for a light attack aircraft was part of the Brazilian government's SIVAM (Amazon Surveillance System) Project. This aircraft would fly with the R-99A and R-99B aircraft currently in service and would be responsible for intercepting illegal aircraft flights and patrolling Brazil's borders.The ALX Project was then created by the Brazilian Air Force, which was also in need of a military trainer to replace the Embraer EMB 326GB Xavante. The project of the new aircraft was suited to the Amazon region (high temperature, moisture, and precipitation; low threat). The ALX was then specified as a turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
engine aircraft with a long range and autonomy, able to operate in night and day, in any meteorological conditions, and able to land on short airfields lacking infrastructure.
The first flight of a single-seat Super Tucano production aircraft occurred on 2 June 1999, while the first flight of the two-seat version took place on 22 October 1999.
Operational history
A total of 25 Super Tucanos (variant AT-29B) were purchased by the Colombian Air ForceColombian Air Force
The Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of the Republic of Colombia.The Colombian Air Force is one of the three institutions of the Armed Forces of Colombia, charge according to the 1991 Constitution of the work to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's airspace to defend the...
in a 234 million USD deal, purchased directly from the Brazilian company Embraer. The first three aircraft arrived in the morning of 14 December 2006 to the military airfield of CATAM in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. Two more planes were delivered on the week of December 16, 2006, ten more in the first semester of 2007 and the rest in June 2008.
In 2008, the Colombian Air Force
Colombian Air Force
The Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of the Republic of Colombia.The Colombian Air Force is one of the three institutions of the Armed Forces of Colombia, charge according to the 1991 Constitution of the work to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's airspace to defend the...
used a Super Tucano armed with Griffin missile
Griffin (missile)
The Griffin is a short-range air-to-surface missile developed by Raytheon for UAVs. It is tube-launched, with a 5.5 inches diameter, weighs 45 pounds, and has a semi-active laser seeker. It has a 13-lb warhead, smaller than the Hellfire typically used by armed UAVs, which has the effect of reducing...
s inside Ecuadorian airspace during "Operation Phoenix", destroying a guerrilla cell and killing the second-in-command chief of FARC, Raúl Reyes
Raúl Reyes
Luis Edgar Devia Silva , better known by his nom de guerre Raúl Reyes, was a Secretariat member, spokesperson, and advisor to the Southern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-EP...
. This event led to a diplomatic break
2008 Andean diplomatic crisis
The 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis was a diplomatic stand-off between the South American countries of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. It began with an incursion into Ecuadorian territory across the Putumayo River by the Colombian military on March 1, 2008, leading to the deaths of over twenty...
between the two countries.
In 2006, Embraer had a potential sale of 24 units to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
fall through. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
claimed the U.S. was responsible for pressuring Brazil not to sign the contract.
One Super Tucano has also been purchased by a subsidiary of Blackwater Worldwide
Blackwater Worldwide
Xe Services LLC, better known by its former names, Blackwater USA and Blackwater Worldwide, is a private military company founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark.. Xe is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors...
, an American private military contracting firm. The aircraft did not include the machine guns normally attached to the wings.
In 2008 the U.S. Navy began testing the Super Tucano at the behest of the U.S. Special Operations Command for its potential use to support special warfare operations, giving it the official U.S. designation A-29B. The Super Tucano is being offered in a U.S. Air Force competition for 100 counterinsurgency aircraft in 2009.
In December 2009, the Peruvian Air Force
Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
was considering an order of 12 Super Tucanos. On April 12, 2010, Brazil signed a defensive pact that opened negotiations for the acquisition of 200 Super Tucanos from Embraer to U.S. forces.
Variants
A-29A : Single-seater for attack and armed reconnaissanceReconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
(on interdiction tasks), attack and cover (on close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
tasks), able to intercept and destroy low performance aircraft.
A-29B : Twin-seater for the same tasks as the single seat version, also used in training and advanced aerial control (on monitoring tasks).
Operators
- Brazilian Air ForceBrazilian Air ForceThe Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
- 100- First Squadron of the Third Aviation Group (1º/3º GAv) "Esquadrão Escorpião"
- Second Squadron of the Third Aviation Group (2º/3º GAv) "Esquadrão Grifo"
- Third Squadron of the Third Aviation Group (3º/3º GAv) "Esquadrão Flecha"
- Second Squadron of the Fifth Aviation Group (2º/5º GAv) "Esquadrão Joker"
- Air Force of Burkina FasoMilitary of Burkina FasoThe branches of Burkina Faso's military include its Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, and People's Militia. Being a landlocked country, Burkina Faso has no navy....
- 3 units.
- Chilean Air ForceChilean Air ForceThe Chilean Air Force is the air force of Chile, a branch of the Chilean military.-History:The first step towards the current FACh was taken by Teniente Coronel Pedro Pablo Dartnell, when he founded the Servicio de Aviación Militar de Chile on December 20, 1910, being trained as a pilot in France...
- 12 ordered. 2 delivered in 2009.
- Colombian Air ForceColombian Air ForceThe Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of the Republic of Colombia.The Colombian Air Force is one of the three institutions of the Armed Forces of Colombia, charge according to the 1991 Constitution of the work to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's airspace to defend the...
- 25 to replace Rockwell OV-10 Bronco and Cessna A-37 Dragonfly. All 25 delivered by 2008.
- Dominican Air ForceDominican Air ForceThe Air Force of the Dominican Republic or Fuerza Aérea Dominicana, is one of the three branches of the Military of the Dominican Republic, together with the Army and the Navy.- History :...
- 8 units, all delivered (Oct. 2010), 2 delivered (December 2009).
:
- Ecuadorian Air ForceEcuadorian Air ForceThe Ecuadorian Air Force is the Air arm of the Military of Ecuador and responsible for the protection of the Ecuadorian airspace.-Mission:To develop the military air wing, in order to execute institutional objectives which guarantee sovereignty and contribute towards the nation's security and...
- 24 ordered; 6 delivered by April 2010 (all 24 should be delivered by December 2010).
- Air Force of El SalvadorAir Force of El SalvadorThe Salvadoran Air Force the air force of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, and is independent from the army and navy. It was formed on 20 March 1923 during a period of heavy interest in aviation in El Salvador. In 1947 after signing the treaty of Rio...
- order for 10 under negotiation in Nov 2010.
:
- Guatemalan Air ForceGuatemalan Air ForceThe Guatemalan Air Force is a small air force composed mostly of U.S.-made aircraft throughout its history....
- 10 ordered in May 2009.
- Indonesian Air ForceIndonesian Air ForceThe Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
- 16 ordered to replace aging and grounded Rockwell OV-10F BroncoOV-10 BroncoThe North American Aviation Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forward air control aircraft...
. , first delivery in 2012
Lebanon
- (Lebanese ArmyLebanese Armed ForcesThe Lebanese Armed Forces or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the Lebanese Army according to its official Website The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية | Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya) or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the...
) 10 (ordered in February 2010, deliveries beginning in 2013.
:
- US Navy - 1 aircraft with the designation A-29 under lease for testing. as part of the Imminent Fury program.
- EP AviationEP Aviation LLCEP Aviation based in McLean, Virginia, is an aviation company owned by Blackwater Security. Assets may include an Embraer Super Tucano and 28 other aircraft including eight SA330J Puma and 14 Bell 412 helicopters. Blackwater has another affiliate known as Presidential Airways which also has a...
- part of XeBlackwater WorldwideXe Services LLC, better known by its former names, Blackwater USA and Blackwater Worldwide, is a private military company founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark.. Xe is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors...
(formerly Blackwater) - at least one twin-seater variant for pilot training (delivered in February 2008), possible further orders for counter-insurgencyCounter-insurgencyA counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
role.