The Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has agreed to buy an A-29 Super Tucano light assault aircraft from Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer.
Prior to an expected US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement that is still pending authorization from the State Department and Congress, the transaction takes place. The client country has not been named.
The early purchase by SNC is intended to expedite the start of pilot training once a contract is signed and may shorten the time required to bring the plane into service for as much as a year.
Jacksonville, Florida, is the location of Embraer’s defense manufacturing plant, where manufacturing will take place.
The turboprop A-29 Super Tucano is designed for light attack, close air support, reconnaissance, and training. It is able to take off from short or unpaved runways and function in complicated environments.
The plane is capable of speeds of 320 knots (368 miles/593 kilometers per hour) and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine that produces about 1,600 horsepower. The range is 720 nautical miles (829 miles/1,333 kilometers), and the altitude is up to 35,000 feet.
The aircraft, which is 36 feet (11 meters) long and has a 36-foot wingspan, may carry machine guns, cannons, precision-guided bombs, and air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles.
The plane is capable of performing combat tasks and pilot training because of its sophisticated navigation, high-resolution sensors, night vision, secure communications, and computerized weapons controls.
