🇨🇴 Colombia moves toward C-390 acquisition following presidential directive

 

Colombia has taken a step toward acquiring the Embraer C-390 Millennium following a directive from President Gustavo Petro. According to reports, the decision sets in motion the process to replace part of the country’s ageing transport fleet.

The Fuerza Aérea Colombiana has long relied on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, but fleet availability has become an increasing concern. A recent accident involving a Hercules has added further pressure to accelerate a replacement.

At this stage, the directive should be understood as a political decision rather than a completed acquisition. No contract has been announced and key details, including the number of aircraft and delivery timeline, remain undefined.

The C-390 has emerged as the leading candidate due to its payload, modern systems and regional presence. The next step will be the formalisation of the procurement process, which will determine whether the current direction translates into a confirmed order.

Uruguay inicia el reemplazo de sus A-37 con la llegada del A-29 Super Tucano

 

La Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya ha comenzado una nueva etapa en su aviación de combate ligera con la recepción de los primeros A-29 Super Tucano, aeronaves que marcarán el relevo definitivo de los veteranos A-37 Dragonfly, en servicio desde hace décadas.

Uruguay ha adquirido un total de seis A-29 Super Tucano, fabricados por la empresa brasileña Embraer, con el objetivo de sustituir de forma progresiva a su envejecida flota de reactores ligeros A-37 y recuperar una capacidad de combate y vigilancia aérea sostenible a medio y largo plazo.

El A-37 en la Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya: una era que llega a su fin

Uruguay operó alrededor de una decena de A-37B Dragonfly, incorporados a mediados de los años setenta y procedentes del excedente estadounidense. Durante décadas, estos reactores ligeros constituyeron la única capacidad de ataque a reacción del país, participando en misiones de defensa aérea limitada, entrenamiento táctico y apoyo a la seguridad nacional. Su longevidad operativa es reflejo tanto de la robustez del diseño como del esfuerzo de mantenimiento realizado por la FAU, aunque también evidencia la necesidad de una sustitución largamente postergada.

El A-29 Super Tucano, fabricado por la brasileña Embraer, ofrece un salto cualitativo significativo frente al A-37. Incorpora aviónica digital, cabina moderna, mejores sensores, mayor autonomía y una arquitectura preparada para misiones de vigilancia, control del espacio aéreo, interdicción y entrenamiento avanzado, todo ello con unos costes operativos contenidos.

Desde el punto de vista doctrinal, el cambio de A-37 a A-29 no implica una pérdida de capacidades, sino una adaptación a las necesidades actuales del país. Uruguay apuesta por una aviación de combate ligera moderna, capaz de cumplir misiones de soberanía aérea, patrulla y apoyo a operaciones de seguridad, sin recurrir a plataformas más complejas o costosas.

El proceso de sustitución de los A-37 por los Super Tucano también tiene una lectura regional. Muchos países latinoamericanos han optado por el A-29 como solución equilibrada entre capacidad militar y sostenibilidad presupuestaria, consolidándolo como uno de los referentes del segmento.

Poland Explores Super Tucano and KC-390:

Recent high-level visits by senior Polish Air Force officials to Brazil have confirmed that Warsaw is actively evaluating the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano and the KC-390 Millennium, marking a significant evolution in Poland’s airpower doctrine. Rather than focusing exclusively on high-end combat platforms, Poland is increasingly seeking cost-effective, mission-optimised solutions to address the changing character of aerial threats in Europe.

The evaluation reflects Poland’s recognition that modern air warfare is no longer defined solely by fighter-to-fighter combat. The rapid proliferation of low-cost long-range drones, cruise missile threats, and persistent ISR challenges has created a growing demand for platforms capable of continuous surveillance, economical interception, and prolonged presence. In this context, the Super Tucano is being studied not as a counter-insurgency aircraft, but as a low-cost aerial policing and drone interception platform, capable of relieving pressure on Poland’s high-value fighter fleet.

Poland currently relies on F-16C/Ds, newly introduced FA-50 light fighters, and soon F-35A stealth aircraft to provide air defence and strike capabilities. However, employing such high-end assets against slow, low-cost UAVs is economically inefficient and operationally suboptimal. The Super Tucano offers a compelling alternative, combining long endurance, modern electro-optical sensors, low operating costs, and sufficient speed and firepower to counter asymmetric airborne threats while preserving advanced fighters for high-intensity contingencies.

This doctrinal shift mirrors a broader European reassessment of force structure priorities, already visible in Portugal’s operational use of the A-29 for maritime patrol and air policing missions. For Poland, the platform could provide persistent border surveillance, low-cost interception capability, and training synergies, particularly in an operational environment shaped by the war in Ukraine and the persistent risk of spillover incidents involving drones and loitering munitions.

Parallel to the Super Tucano evaluation, Poland is also conducting a comprehensive assessment of the KC-390 Millennium tactical transport aircraft, which is emerging as a serious contender for future Polish airlift requirements. With Poland’s C-130E/H Hercules fleet aging and facing growing maintenance challenges, the KC-390 offers a modern, jet-powered alternative capable of delivering significantly improved speed, payload, and operational flexibility.

The KC-390’s increasing adoption across Europe, including by Portugal, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, and the Czech Republic, has further strengthened its appeal. For Warsaw, interoperability within NATO, rapid reinforcement capability, and strategic mobility across Eastern Europe represent critical operational requirements, all of which align closely with the KC-390’s performance envelope. Reports suggest that up to ten aircraft are under consideration, though no final procurement timeline has yet been announced.

Strategically, Poland’s twin-track evaluation reflects a broader recalibration of European airpower concepts. Instead of concentrating resources exclusively on elite fighter platforms, Warsaw is increasingly investing in a balanced force structure, combining high-end combat aircraft with affordable, high-availability platforms tailored to emerging threat profiles. This layered approach enhances resilience, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness, particularly in prolonged crisis scenarios.

In this sense, Poland’s interest in both the Super Tucano and KC-390 illustrates a maturing operational doctrine shaped by real-world conflict, logistical realism, and the economic constraints of sustained high-readiness operations. It also underscores a wider European trend toward multi-tier airpower architectures, where each platform is optimized for specific mission sets rather than stretched across all roles.

Poland’s exploration of the A-29 Super Tucano and KC-390 Millennium reflects a pragmatic and strategically sound adaptation to modern air warfare realities, prioritizing efficiency, persistence, and operational flexibility alongside traditional combat power. Rather than diluting Poland’s air combat capability, this approach strengthens overall force resilience, ensuring that high-end fighters remain available for the missions that truly require them.

Portuguese Air Force Welcomes First Super Tucanos for NATO-Standard Modernization

On 25 August 2025, the first two Força Aérea Portuguesa (FAP, Portuguese Air Force) A-29N Super Tucano light attack and counter-insurgency aircraft officially began their delivery flight to OGMA, Portugal.

The aircraft—registered PT-CXA and PT-CYV—took off from Embraer’s facility in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, marking the start of their transatlantic journey. Once at OGMA, they will undergo fitting and modifications to bring them up to NATO operational standards, including secure datalinks, encrypted radios, SATCOM, and GPS systems.

This delivery follows the contract signed on 16 December 2024, when Portugal agreed to purchase 12 A-29N aircraft (with an option for 4 more), along with a flight simulator and a logistics support package. The deal is valued at €200 million (USD 210 million).

The A-29N is a NATO-standard variant of the proven Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano, specifically tailored for European defense environments. Importantly, the project emphasizes Portuguese industrial participation, with OGMA and other domestic companies playing a central role in assembly, integration, and sustainment.

The aircraft will eventually be operated by Esquadra 103 (Esq103) “Caracóis”, the unit formerly flying the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet until its retirement in 2018.

For Esq103, the arrival of the Super Tucano represents a renaissance of advanced pilot training and light attack capability. The A-29N will allow the squadron to perform a wide range of missions, from close air support (CAS) and counter-insurgency to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and JTAC training.

Portugal expects a phased delivery schedule, with the full fleet of 12 aircraft arriving between 2027 and 2028. This two-to-three-year rollout ensures sufficient time for integration, pilot training, and system certification.

The departure of PT-CXA and PT-CYV from Brazil is more than a simple delivery—it is the beginning of a new era for the Portuguese Air Force. With NATO-standard systems, industrial participation, and versatile mission profiles, the A-29N Super Tucano will serve as a cornerstone for training and light combat operations well into the next decade.

By late 2025, Portugal’s skies will host the first A-29Ns of Esquadra 103, ushering in a historic modernization for both FAP and NATO’s southern flank.

First Nigerian Air Force A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft successfully completes inaugural flight

Embraer Defense & Security and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the first of 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack, combat and reconnaissance aircraft for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) successfully completed its inaugural flight at the production facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
The full fleet of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft for the NAF are currently in production by SNC and Embraer at the Jacksonville facility with delivery to the NAF expected on schedule in 2021.
embraer

KC-390 delivery to Brazil delayed a few months

Embraer plans to deliver its first KC-390 transport to the Brazilian air force in the next few months, after a further slight delay from its original plan to hand over the aircraft at the end of 2018.
The twin-turbofan military transport the company plans to deliver to Brazil was at the show on 16 June, conducting a demo flight for journalists and standing on static display.
Embraer's delivery delay is the result of an incident involving one of two KC-390 prototypes that overran its runway during a test in Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil in 2018. To complete its flight testing regime, the airframer decided to reassign its third production aircraft, which was intended to be the initial example delivered to the Brazilian air force. In July 2018, Embraer said it believed the incident would cause a six-month delay, although it is now likely to take a few months longer.
The firm says aircraft number nine is now in production. The company expects to produce military transports at a pace of 12 per year, but says with a third shift and some changes to its supply chain a higher production rate is possible. The Brazilian air force has ordered 28 examples of the aircraft.
flightglobal

First Flight of the Series Production Embraer KC-390

First Embraer KC-390 achieved another important milestone today with the completion of the maiden flight of the first series production multi-mission medium airlift KC-390. As agreed with the Brazilian Air Force, the aircraft will now join the flight test campaign, in which more than 1,900 flight hours have already been logged. Civil certification of the basic aircraft will be granted by Brazilian aviation authority ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil) and is expected to be achieved very soon.
embraer

KC-390 Transport Aircraft delivery to Brazil delayed until 2019

Embraer now plans to complete flight testing and deliver the first production version of the KC-390 to the Brazilian air force up to six months late in the first half of 2019.
The nine-year-old development programme for the twin-engined tanker-transport had been on track until an “operational issue” caused the first of two flight test aircraft to overrun a runway in Brazil, leading to heavy damage to the landing gear and fuselage.
Embraer had planned to deliver the third KC-390 to the Brazilian air force by the end of the year, but that aircraft will now be diverted to help the company complete the flight test campaign in the absence of the first prototype.
The fourth KC-390 to roll-off Embraer’s assembly line will now be the first of 28 aircraft delivered to the Brazilian air force.
flightgloba

Portugal Near to Finalize Contract For Five Embraer KC-390 Transport Aircraft

Embraer is on the verge of completing a deal with Portugal confirming the country as the first export customer for the KC-390 tanker transport.
“We are discussing with the government the final contract,” the Brazilian airframer’s chief executive Paulo Cesar Silva said at a pre-Farnborough air show media briefing in Lisbon on 26 June.
It comes just over a year after Portugal opened negotiations to buy five KC-390s, with an option for a sixth, with deliveries starting in 2021.
Four nations – other than Brazil – originally committed to the military aircraft, which flew for the first time in 2015. However, progress with Argentina, the Czech Republic and Chile appears to have stalled.
Embraer is exhibiting the KC-390 at this year's Farnborough air show, as well as the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford that immediately precedes it.
flightglobal

Philippines Orders Six A-29 Super Tucano

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has announced a firm order of six A-29 Super Tucano light-attack and advanced training aircraft for the Philippine Air Force.
The Southeast Asian nation, which is battling several insurgencies including against Islamic State-linked militants on several islands in the south of the country, had named Embraer as the sole compliant bidder for its close-air support aircraft requirement under the first stage of its Horizon modernization program in early June.
The order makes the Philippines the second Southeast Asian user of the Super Tucano after Indonesia. According to Thursday’s news release from Embraer, deliveries of the aircraft will be concluded in 2019. The value of the contract was not announced.
Mike Yeo-defensenews

Portugal envisages acquisition of KC-390 aircraft

The Portuguese Ministry of National Defence (MoND) currently considers the Embraer KC-390 multipurpose transport aircraft as an adequate solution to progressively replace the country's Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules aircraft, it told Jane's on 9 March.
No contract has yet been placed, but up to six aircraft are expected to be purchased. Portugal made an information request to Embraer last October and is currently analysing the information provided, the MoND told Jane's .
The aircraft would conduct troop and cargo transport, firefighting, and air-to-air refuelling missions in the Portuguese Air Force service, the MoND said.
Several Portuguese companies, including OGMA-Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal (partially owned by Embraer), Embraer Metálicas, Embraer Compósitos, and CEiiA, are involved with the KC-390 programme, which Jane's understands favours a potential buy of the type.
janes

The Afghan Air Force could receive four more Embraer A-29

The Afghan Air Force could receive four more Embraer A-29 light attack turboprop aircraft, adding to 20 already on contract, the US Air Force says in a new contracting notice.
The four aircraft would be assembled by Embraer at the company’s Jacksonville, Florida, facility, but the prime contractor could change.
Sierra Nevada teamed with Embraer to win the original bidding contest with Hawker Beechcraft, which is now part of Textron Aviation.
The USAF is considering other sources to procure up to four A-29s from Embraer for delivery to the Afghan Air Force, according to a “sources sought” notice posted on 6 October.
Sierra Nevada remains on contract to maintain the Afghan air force A-29 fleet to a mission capability rate of 80%, so any new prime contractor must continue working with the Sparks, Nevada-based company.
flightglobal

UK Signs Major Deal for Military Aircraft, Training

A key part of a contractor-managed program to train future British military aircrew has finally fallen into place with the signing of a deal for a KBR-Elbit Systems joint venture to provide and support three new fixed-wing aircraft fleets as part of the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS).
The private finance initiative (PFI) signed with Ascent, the Lockheed Martin-Babcock joint venture, which runs the UKMFTS program, will see Affinity Flying Training Services procure, operate and maintain 10 Beechcraft Texan T-6C aircraft, and 23 Grob G120TP Prefect turboprops along with five Embraer Phenom 100 jets to train Royal Air Force and Royal Navy air crew. The deal runs until 2033.
defensenews

KC-390 resumes flight tests

The flight on 26 October at Embraer’s test centre in Gaviao Pexioto, Brazil, ends an eight-month hiatus caused by a fiscal crisis in Brasilia. As the Real currency has devalued by 50% since the beginning of the year, the government had slowed payments to Embraer on a host of projects, but none bigger than the KC-390.
Last July, Embraer announced signing an agreement with the Brazilian air force that extended the KC-390 development schedule by a year, with entry into service beginning in 2018.
The timing of the Brazilian economic crisis posed a severe test for the KC-390 programme. Embraer completed a 1.5h first flight in Gaviao Peixoto on 3 February, but never flew again until 26 October. In the interim, Embraer’s team moved forward with ground vibration testing, Curado says.
Embraer also has kicked off development of the F-39 Gripen fighter for the Brazilian air force with prime contractor Saab.
flightglobal

Mali To Acquire 11 Super Tucanos

Embraer is continuing its African presence with a sale to Mali of 11 Super Tucanos A-29 light attack and advanced trainer turbo-prop aircraft.
In a statement posted to its website, Embraer announced Mali signed an order for six A-29s while the Ghanaian Defense Ministry agreed to procure five of the aircraft.
Both countries intend to use the Super Tucanos for advanced pilot training, border surveillance and a wide range of other internal security missions.
defensenews

Ghana orders five A-29 Super Tucano

Ghana has ordered five Embraer A-29 Super Tucano .
Embraer says Ghana intends to use the Super Tucanos for “advanced training, border surveillance and internal security missions”.
The order follows recent announcements that Mali and Lebanon will buy Super Tucanos. Embraer revealed last week that Mali has placed an order for six aircraft, and the US government recently approved the sale of six American-made versions to Lebanon.
The aircraft has been in production since 2003. Embraer says it has secured “more than 210 firm [A-29] orders”, and about 190 have been delivered to date.
Ghana does not currently have a dedicated, fixed-wing attack aircraft. Ghana operates about 20 military aircraft including a small fleet of Russian Mi-17 utility helicopters and two Airbus C295 transports.
Ghana is the fifth African nation to procure the A-29 – joining Angola, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Mali.
flightglobal

US approves A-29 Super Tucano sale to Lebanon

Sierra Nevada Corporation could receive an order from Lebanon for six of its American-built A-29 Super Tucanos following the US government’s approval of a potential foreign military sale.
The company is in a partnership with Brazil’s Embraer to deliver 20 of the light-attack turboprops to the Pentagon for transfer to the Afghan Air Force. The first batch of aircraft built in Jacksonville, Florida, arrived at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia last September for the start of training.
Lebanon could buy up to six Super Tucanos.
The potential sale comes as the US government approves another potential deal with Lebanon for an undisclosed number of Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles.
flightglobal

Embraer delivers the first modernized AF-1B jet fighter to the Brazilian Navy

Embraer held the delivery ceremony, of the first modernized AF-1 (AF-1B) fighter jet to the Brazilian Navy. The AF-1 program (the name given by the Navy to the McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk) provides for the revitalization and modernization of 12 subsonic jets – nine AF-1 single-seaters and three AF-1A two-seaters.
The AF-1 is an intercept and attack airplane operating from an aircraft carrier to provide air defense for the fleet. These modernized Navy jets received new navigation, weapons, power, tactical communications and sensor systems, plus computers and multimode state-of-the art radar. This equipment, along with the structural work that was performed, will make it possible for these jet fighters to continue operating until 2025.

Embraer close to resuming KC-390 flight tests

Embraer will in the next two months resume test flights of its developmental KC-390 transport and tanker, following a lengthy pause since its first – and only – sortie on 3 February.
This "lay-up period", was to allow the installation of all the instrumentation required for certification trials.
Military approval is scheduled to be attained late in 2016, with first delivery to the Brazilian air force following that same year or in early 2017.
Embraer will require around 2,000h of flight tests using two prototypes of the International Aero Engines V2500-powered aircraft to achieve certification.
The second flight-test article is due to roll out in September or October this year.
The only firm order for the twinjet has come from Brazil, which has committed to 28 examples. However, Embraer also holds letters of intent from five other nations, covering 32 aircraft.
Embraer is positive that additional deals will be signed off in the coming months.
flightglobal

Embraer eyeing slowdown of KC-390 program if Brazil cannot pay

Embraer has to consider slowing down development of the KC-390 military cargo jet if the Brazilian Air Force, which is funding the program, does not catch up on late payments, Chief Executive Officer said on a Thursday conference call.
The Brazilian government has fallen behind on around $300 million in payments on defense contracts due to efforts to shore up the federal budget
reuters