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Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano (A-29)

2003 MODERN AIRCRAFT

History

The EMB 314 "Super Tucano" (also known as "A-29") represented a locally produced aircraft product in Brazil and was owned by the then government-operated EMBRAER. The aircraft is a turboprop-powered light attack, reconnaissance and surveillance platform and is available in two different variants - a single-seat and a two-seat variant.

While both can be armed according to the operator's needs, the two-seater Super Toucan can also function as an advanced trainer. The Tucano bloodline has proven to be one of the best in the world, and the Super Tucano seeks to continue that level of excellence in a more modern and capable way.

The EMB-314 came into being when EMBRAER looked for a more powerful and armed version of its existing EMB-312 Tucano trainer in the late 1980s for anti-smuggling and counter-insurgency missions. By 1994, Embraer was no longer a government-funded company and now had to fight for its dynamism. The new feasibility study produced two EMB-312H Super Tucano prototypes, followed by a Pilatus PC-9 ( Texas 2) was tested. Played. program competition.

Although Raytheon ultimately prevailed over the proposal submitted by EMBRAER, the overall idea of ??the "Super Toucan" was not dead, and the U.S. military's evaluation of it proved that the system was sufficiently promising.

The Super Tucano can use ammo capacity on its five hardpoints (four wings and one centerline). Standard armament options include 20mm gun pods mounted under the fuselage and 2 x 12.7mm heavy FN Herstal M3P machine guns (200 rounds per gun) in the wings. Optional and mission-specific munitions may include 4 x 70mm rocket launcher pods for explosive air-to-surface attacks, conventional bombs, and guided smart bombs.

One of the main tasks of the Super Toucan is to intercept low-flying/slow-flying aircraft (fixed or rotary) illegally entering Brazilian airspace. So the Super Toucan can be equipped with 2 x Sidewinder, MAA-1 Piranha or Anaconda 3/4 Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles to hit targets with lethal effect.

At the time of writing, four squadrons of the Brazilian Air Force have around 70 Super Toucans deployed and are currently the largest user of the system. The Colombian Air Force (the first Super Toucan export customer) has 25 such examples, while Ecuador has no less than 24 orders.

Chile has ordered 12 of these systems and the Dominican Republic will receive 8. The U.S. Navy has leased a prototype for testing possible use by special forces an interesting addition to this type of operation in itself.

In addition, US-based private contractor Blackwater Worldwide (now EPAviation) purchased a single-person, two-seater trainer without wing machine guns.

EMBRAER sold 24 prototypes to Venezuela in 2006.

In order to gain a foothold in the Brazilian market and present possible candidates for the US Air Force's light air support program, Boeing US is working with Embraer to support US weapons on the A-29 Super to implement Toucan. This is the support of Boeing's new commitment to help Embraer develop its heaviest aircraft to date, the C-390 medium transport aircraft. Of course, Boeing also plans to successfully sell its family of F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets to the Brazilian Air Force, which is actively looking for the winner of the F-2X fighter competition (the French Dassault Rafale is another front-runner).

Supporting American weapons on the Super Toucan would greatly increase its global appeal.

About 20 Super Toucans were used in the reconstruction of the Afghan National Air Force, with the first example scheduled to be delivered in early 2015. The rest will arrive by 2019.