Embraer announced that it has signed a services agreement with the Philippine Air Force to support their fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft. This agreement will provide support for more than 200-part numbers of the A-29 Super Tucano. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) considered the acquisition of six Super Tucano aircraft to replace the aging OV-10 Bronco. In late 2017, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed the contract for the acquisition of 6 Embraer Super Tucano to fulfill the Close Air Support Aircraft acquisition project as included in the AFP Modernization Program’s Horizon 1 phase.
On 13 October 2020, six A-29B Super Tucanos were turned over to the PAF. They were inducted with the 16th Attack Squadron, 15th Strike Wing. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana eyes acquisition of six more A-29B Super Tucano close-air support aircraft to boost the number on PAF inventory. By 2024 the airforce intends to operate 24 aircraft, which can equip two squadrons. 12 aircraft are to be delivered by 2022, and six by 2024. The Philippine Air Force’s fleet of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft were delivered in 2020 during the global pandemic. These aircraft are operated and maintained by the Philippine Air Force’s 15th Strike Wing.
The Embraer A-29 Super Tucano is a Brazilian turboprop light attack aircraft designed and built by Embraer. 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 export customers. Last year, Embraer’s worldwide fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft reached 500,000 flight hours. With more than 260 units delivered, the aircraft has already been selected by more than 15 air forces worldwide.
A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.
