Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has signed an agreement to acquire an A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer.
The purchase comes ahead of a potential U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract, which has not yet received approval from the State Department and Congress. The end-user nation has not been publicly disclosed. SNC’s early procurement is intended to accelerate pilot training once the FMS contract is finalized, potentially reducing the time required to bring the aircraft into service by up to a year.
Production will take place at Embraer’s defense facility in Jacksonville, Florida. The A-29 Super Tucano is a turboprop aircraft designed for light attack, close air support, reconnaissance, and pilot training, capable of operating from short or unpaved runways.
Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine generating roughly 1,600 horsepower, the aircraft can reach 320 knots (368 mph/593 km/h), fly up to 35,000 feet, and cover a range of 720 nautical miles (1,333 km). Measuring 36 feet (11 meters) in length and wingspan, it can carry machine guns, cannons, precision-guided bombs, and air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles.
Equipped with computerized weapons systems, secure communications, modern navigation, night vision, and high-resolution sensors, the A-29 supports both combat operations and pilot training in complex environments.
