The Portuguese Air Force received its first A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, in the new NATO-compliant A-29N variant.
The ceremony to welcome the first five aircraft was held on December 17 at the Embraer-owned OGMA facility near Lisbon.
It took the Portuguese only one year to receive the first A-29N Super Tucano aircraft, as Lisbon ordered 12 such aircraft on December 16, 2024, for approximately €200 million.
The first Super Tucano aircraft arrived in Portugal in late August this year. Afterwards, the aircraft underwent the integration of equipment and systems requested by the Portuguese Air Force at OGMA’s facilities.
The rapid delivery and the price of around €12 million per one aircraft are explained by the fact that they were previously operated. The delivery of these aircraft took significantly less time than it took Lisbon to decide on their purchase and complete all internal bureaucracy. Portugal’s plans to purchase 12 A-29 Super Tucanos were first discussed as early as spring 2023.
Since then, the purpose of the purchase has shifted significantly, with training remaining the only unchanged role. A few years ago, purchasing the Super Tucano was justified as a need for an effective aircraft for “peacekeeping” missions, mainly in Africa.
One of the most striking examples of this use of the Super Tucano is the war in Afghanistan. In 2013, the U.S. ordered 20 such aircraft for the Afghan Air Force, which began missions in 2016 and proved effective, with a squadron of 12 aircraft flying more than 80 missions per week.
Portugal has noted that the Super Tucano is highly effective against drones, particularly when the enemy deploys them in large numbers. This is based on Ukraine’s experience in repelling russian attacks.
In other words, the reason for Portugal choosing the Super Tucano has changed dramatically, however the aircraft is potentially effective in both roles. Moreover, Embraer has announced the arrival of a special sub-version of the aircraft with upgrades that transform it into a specialized UAV fighter. Any Super Tucano can be upgraded to this version.
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