The country will become the sixth operator of the aircraft in South America along with Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay
Montevideo, Uruguay – Embraer announced today the sale of up to six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU). The contract, which is part of the FAU’s fleet renewal and operational capacity expansion program, provides for the acquisition of one aircraft and a commitment to acquire five additional units, with deliveries scheduled from 2025, including mission equipment, an integrated logistics package and a flight simulator.
With this order, Uruguay becomes the sixth nation to operate the A-29 Super Tucano in South America, along with Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay. Due to its operational flexibility in the South American region, the aircraft is used for various missions, mainly to control illicit activities, border monitoring, reconnaissance and advanced training.
A regional fleet of more than 160 Super Tucano operates in the most austere and demanding environments in South America, from the humid and hot Amazon rainforest, the cold regions of southern Chile to the heat of the desert further north, mountainous regions of Colombia and Ecuador to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
“We are honored by the decision of the Uruguayan Air Force, yet another South American nation to choose the A-29 Super Tucano, an aircraft that is a benchmark in its segment on the international market. With this acquisition, Uruguay will have differentiated capabilities that will greatly contribute to the surveillance of its borders and increase the operational readiness of the FAU,” says Bosco da Costa Jr, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security.
“Uruguay is seeking to strengthen its airspace surveillance and threat response capabilities, and it is doing so by relying on Brazilian technology, which offers a very suitable platform for these purposes, such as the A-29 Super Tucanos,” said Uruguayan Chancellor Omar Paganini.
“With this incorporation we are taking a great leap forward in improving our defense capabilities and responding to the needs of controlling our territorial sovereignty and fighting crime in all its forms,” said Uruguayan Minister of National Defense Armando Castaingdebat.
“It should be noted that our country has not acquired new combat aircraft since 1981. It is precisely for this reason that the aforementioned purchase of aircraft will generate great motivation and professional satisfaction within the Air Force,” said the Commander-in-Chief of the Uruguayan Air Force, General Luis H. De León.
The A-29 Super Tucano is the world leader in its category, with more than 260 aircraft delivered, more than 570,000 flight hours and 60,000 combat hours. Currently, 18 air forces have acquired the A-29 Super Tucano and interest in the platform has grown steadily due to its combination of characteristics such as reliability, availability and robustness and low operating costs.
For air forces that need a proven, comprehensive, efficient, reliable and cost-effective solution in a single platform, coupled with great operational flexibility, the A-29 Super Tucano offers a wide range of missions such as close air support, air patrol, special operations, air interdiction, JTAC, forward air controller (FAC), tactical air coordinator (TAC), armed ISR, border surveillance, reconnaissance, air escort, basic, operational and advanced training, transition to air superiority fighters, JTAC /LIFT and FAC training.
The A-29 Super Tucano is the most effective multi-mission aircraft in its class, equipped with state-of-the-art technology in precise target identification, weapons systems and a comprehensive communications suite. The capability is further enhanced by advanced HMI avionics systems integrated into a robust fuselage capable of operating on unpaved runways, in harsh environments and without infrastructure. In addition, the aircraft has a simple maintenance concept, which offers high levels of reliability, availability and structural strength with low lifecycle costs.