DefenseEmbraer to deliver four A-29 Super Tucanos to Paraguay on Friday
The Paraguayan Air Force is set to enter a new era of aerial defense. On Friday, the country expects the arrival of its first four A-29 Super Tucanos, out of a total of six aircraft purchased from Brazil in 2024, under a comprehensive modernization program for national airspace security.
The announcement was made by Air Force Commander Julio Fullaondo, who confirmed that the aircraft will be ferried by Paraguayan pilots trained in Brazil. The remaining two aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between October and November.
In addition to the aircraft, Embraer is providing training for eight more pilots (currently in ground school in Brazil) and 12 mechanics who will be responsible for the maintenance of the new fleet.
Equipped with the most advanced configuration for the model, Paraguay’s Super Tucanos, according to Fullaondo, “have nothing to envy from any fighter jet in the region.”
The acquisition was financed through a US$106 million investment, supported by a loan agreement with Brazil’s BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development), and is part of the “Project for the acquisition of air assets with technological capacity for national airspace defense.”
This marks the first fighter aircraft purchase by Paraguay since 1987, when it acquired T-27 Tucano trainers. The new defense posture aims to improve control of national airspace, particularly in the fight against illegal flights operated by transnational organized crime.
As part of this strategy, Paraguay is also acquiring a long-range radar and a command and control center, both under production by Northrop Grumman in the U.S.
Additionally, two Israeli short-range radars, previously inoperative, are undergoing refurbishment and are expected to return to service by mid-July.
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