Philippines get deliveries of A-29B Super Tucano light attack aircraft

One of the A-29B Super Tucanos for the PAF. Photo c/o VietDefense.

Four (4) A-29B Super Tucano light attack aircraft bound for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) arrived on 19 September 2020 at Clark Air Base, Pampanga province, completing its delivery transit flight that started in Brazil.

Two more aircraft are scheduled to arrive in the Philippines at a later date after encountering clearance issues in one of the transit stops.

The aircraft were delivered by Brazilian aviation company Embraer, and were flown in to the Philippines by Embraer's pilots.

Transit stops were made in Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Portugal, Malta, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam.

The aircraft were supposed to be delivered in 2 batches starting in late 2019, but encountered delays which was further extended by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aircraft were ordered by the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) in 2017 after Embraer was selected to supply for the Close Air Support Aircraft Project of the PAF that has been undergoing selection and negotiations since 2014.

Embraer's A-29B Super Tucano beat other competitors including Beechcraft's AT-6C Wolverine, Korea Aerospace Industries KA-1 Woongbi, and the Aero Vodochody L-159 ALCA.

Filipino defense page MaxDefense Philippines confirmed that the aircraft will be assigned with the PAF's 15th Strike Wing, specifically the 16th Attack Squadron which currently flies the Aermacchi SF-260TP armed trainers.

The PAF is reported to have an option to order 18 more A-29B Super Tucano aircraft, to allow the total replacement of its existing light attack aircraft including the SF-260TP armed trainers and the Rockwell OV-10 Bronco of the 17th Attack Squadron.


[1] Philippine News Agency
[2] Philippine Defense Resource