Uruguay plans to obtain up to six Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft, in its first commitment to a new combat aircraft in decades.
In a contract signed with Embraer, Montevideo will obtain a single example, “plus the commitment to acquire five additional units”, says the Brazilian manufacturer. Deliveries are set to commence in 2025.
The commitment sets the stage for Uruguay to become the sixth operator of the turboprop-powered type in South America, following Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay.
“Uruguay seeks to strengthen its airspace surveillance and threat-response capabilities, and it does so rely on Brazilian technology, which proposes a very suitable platform for these purposes, such as the A-29 Super Tucanos,” says Uruguayan foreign minister Omar Paganini.
The deal is the first time Uruguay has obtained a new combat aircraft since 1981.
Cirium fleets data indicates that the Uruguayan air force operates 34 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The only assets listed with a combat role are seven Cessna A-37 Dragonflies with an average age of 31.3 years.
Embraer says that the Super Tucano can serve in roles such as close air support, air patrol, special operations, air interdiction, forward air control, and others.
“We are honoured by the decision of the Uruguayan air force, another South American nation to choose the A-29 Super Tucano, an aircraft that is a reference in its segment in the international market,” says Bosco da Costa Junior, chief executive of Embraer Defense & Security.
“With this acquisition, Uruguay will have differentiated capabilities that will greatly contribute to the surveillance of its borders and increase [the air force’s] operational readiness.”
Beyond South America, other countries that operate the Super Tucano include Lebanon, Mauritania, Nigeria, the Philippines and Turkmenistan.
