Portugal Takes Delivery of First Pair of A-29N FAP Aircraft
Embraer has announced that the first two A-29Ns prepared for the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) have taken off from the Gavião Peixoto runway in Brazil, flying towards OGMA in Portugal, where they will receive the necessary equipment to operate in compliance with NATO operational requirements.
This first pair of advanced training and light attack aircraft are part of a contract for 12 aircraft that will equip the FAP. The programme costs around 200 million euros and the contract includes, besides the aircraft, the supply of a simulator to carry out part of the ground training, spare parts, and logistical support.
Operational Capabilities of A-29 Super Tucano
The aircraft can be deployed by the FAP for Close Air Support (CAS), Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), and Advanced Training missions.
The A-29 Super Tucano can carry out a wide range of missions, including light attack, surveillance, and interception against slow aircraft, helicopters, drones, and UAS, as well as counter-insurgency tasks.
The Super Tucano A-29N is equipped with various state-of-the-art sensors and weapons, including an electro-optical/infrared system with a laser designator, a night vision system, secure voice communications, and a data link package.
Features of A-29 Super Tucano
The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano or A-29 have a length of 11.33m, a wingspan of 11.14m, and a height of 3.97m. The aircraft is a tandem two-seater and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68C with 1,604 hp. It can reach a maximum speed of 590 km/h, a cruising speed of 520 km/h, and with a 1,500 kg load and a hi-lo-hi flight profile, it has a range of 550 km. Its transfer range is over 2,800 km.
In terms of armament, it can mount heavy M3P 12.7mm machine guns, up to four under-wing pylons, and a ventral attachment point with a total capacity of 1,550 kg.
The aircraft can mount pods with 7.62, 12.7mm and 20mm machine guns, 70mm rockets, AIM-9L/M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, Piranha, Python 3-4, AGM-65 Maverick and Cirit air-to-surface missiles, Mk 81 and 82 general-purpose bombs, Paveway II laser-guided bombs, Griffin, and Lizard.
The Super Tucano is equipped with a countermeasures system (chaff & flares) and an AN/AAQ-22 Star SAFIRE II infrared electro/optical system.
The onboard avionics are MIL-STD-1553 standard, with a HUD, HOTAS commands, Helmet Mounted Display, integrated navigation and radio communication systems, a video camera/recorder, a laser range finder, computerized attack modes, and a secure data transmission/data link system.
Source and photo credit @Embraer
