FIDAE 2024: Embraer sees market for 490 Super Tucanos

A Nigerian A-29 Super Tucano is pictured here. Embraer Defence CEO Bosco da Costa sees potential for up to 450 Super Tucanos over 20 years, including from Africa. (US Africa Command Public Affairs)

Embraer Defence & Security sees a market for up to 490 A-29 Super Tucano trainer and attack aircraft over the next two decades, Embraer president and CEO Bosco da Costa Jr told Janes on 10 April at the FIDAE 2024 airshow in Santiago, Chile.

“We are in touch with several countries around the world, not only here in South America, but we have some potential [customers] in Africa, in Asia, and in Europe as well,” said da Costa. “We are in advanced conversations with countries in Europe [and] in advanced conversations with countries in Asia. I cannot disclose the countries because the defence procurement process does not allow us to do that. But I assure you that we are now in a final stage in some of them.”

Although da Costa declined to identify the interested countries, in April 2023 Embraer announced that it would design and market a NATO-standard version of the Super Tucano, designated A-29N, which would incorporate the Link-16 datalink as well as other unspecified equipment. Embraer has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Portuguese industry to potentially fulfil the country's requirement for a light attack aircraft, but da Costa said that Portugal may not be the A-29N's launch customer. The company will await a firm order from a NATO country before building the new model, added da Costa.