All six Super Tucano aircraft ordered by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) have been officially handed over to the Air Force 15th Strike Wing on 13 October 2020. The aircraft will be deployed for close air support, light attack, surveillance, air-to-air interception, counter-insurgency missions, advanced training and are part of PAF’s ongoing modernization plan. During the turnover ceremony, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed interest in the acquisition of additional six A-29 Super Tucano Counter-Insurgency aircraft.
It is an honour to deliver these six A-29 Super Tucanos to the Philippine Air Force,” said Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “Delivering an aircraft amidst a global pandemic is challenging, but we were committed to go the extra mile every step of the way to have the aircraft in the hands of PAF to fulfil their security missions.”
“The Philippine Air Force takes pride in welcoming the six A-29B Super Tucano from Embraer Defense and Security into the blue fold of our skies as part of our fleet. The addition of these close air support aircraft is a great leap in our air power capability as we soar together in our flight to a more capable and credible Air Force for the nation and its people,” Lieutenant General Allen T. Paredes AFP, Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force.
The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named A-29, is a Brazilian turboprop light attack aircraft designed and built by Embraer as a development of the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano. The A-29 Super Tucano carries a wide variety of weapons, including precision-guided munitions, and was designed to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments. In addition to its manufacture in Brazil, Embraer has set up a production line in the United States in conjunction with Sierra Nevada Corporation for the manufacture of A-29s to many export customers.
