The airframer is already marketing the A-29NX as a cost-effective option for air-to-air counter-drone defence.
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is working with one of its existing customers to certify a counter-UAS capability to the company’s A-29 Super Tucano light attack turboprop.
Frederico Lemos, the chief commercial officer for Embraer’s defence unit, describes the project as an active and ongoing effort.
“We are working with a particular nation on the integration of that capability,” he said in a 15 September interview with FlightGlobal at the annual Air & Spaces Forces Association conference near Washington, DC.
The package falls under Embraer’s broader A-29NX modernisation plan, which includes a new large area cockpit display and a video data link that Lemos says will support the counter-UAS mission by giving pilots better situational awareness and information management.
An external fuel tank will also increase loitering time, another important consideration on anti-drone flights.
In March, Embraer partnered with US firm Valkyrie Aero to incorporate an artificial intelligence suite into the Super Tucano specifically to support counter-UAS applications.
The A-29 can already be equipped with an electro-optical targeting sensor and BAE Systems 70mm APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) laser-guided rockets, which have emerged as a popular option for shooting down drones and one-way attack munitions, owing to their low cost and easy availability.
The single-engined turboprop also boasts an ultra-low operating cost of roughly $1,500 per flight hour – a key factor in the counter-drone mission, which involves shooting down large numbers of slow-moving targets at relatively low altitudes.
Lemos declines to name the country Embraer is collaborating with on the counter-UAS integration effort but confirms it is a current Super Tucano operator.
The list of countries operating the A-29 as either a trainer or attack platform includes Brazil, Lebanon, Portugal, Mauritania, Angola, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chile, Paraguay, Ecuador, Uruguay, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic and Turkmenistan.
A small number of Super Tucanos are also being flown by US Air Force test pilots for spin and stall training and for testing systems mounted on underwing pylons.
Portugal is a likely candidate as Embraer’s mystery partner. The Portuguese air force was the launch customer for the NATO-standard A-29N configuration and the first Super Tucano operator in Europe.
An initial batch of five A-29Ns was handed over to the service in December 2025.
Portugal is also home to the MRO firm OGMA, which is majority owned by Embraer.
Embraer-built military aircraft like the KC-390 tanker-transport are sent to OGMA to undergo specific modifications and testing for NATO customers, which must be conducted inside NATO territory.
Lemos declines to disclose a specific timeline for certifying the counter-UAS package but says Embraer is already receiving interest from the market. A big part of the effort involves simply “demonstrating the capability and how effective it is”, he notes.
“We are offering the capability to the market already,” he adds.
The post Embraer working with undisclosed Super Tucano operator to add counter-UAS capability first appeared on FlightGlobal.