The Portuguese Council of Ministers has announced that Portugal will buy Embraer’s A-29N Super Tucano in a deal worth nearly 200 million euros.
Following the negotiations with the Brazilian company since the 4th of July approval of the enterprise (1), it was announced yesterday, on the 12th of December, the purchase of 12x A-29N Super Tucano aircraft, a flight simulator and logistical sustainment, the project will also have the involvement of Portuguese industry, specifically in the work needed to make the aircraft meet NATO standards and specifications (2).
The story of the Brazilian COIN aircraft for the Portuguese Air Force has been going on for some time, In 2022, and following the Russian full scale invasion of Ukraine, the Portuguese Armed Forces Chief of Staff published a document entitled “Military Strategic Vision for the Portuguese Armed Forces, 2022-2034”, in it was stated the need of close air support aircraft, suitable to operate in unstable regions, as is the case of many regions in Africa, where Portugal maintains a sizable deployment in Central African Republic amid the UN’s MINUSCA peacekeeping mission. The document goes on to reinforce the need of the Armed Forces for such aircraft in order to provide armed escort to ground forces and conduct ISR in permissive and semi-permissive environments.
On the 17th of August of 2023 (3), the Portuguese government approved the nation’s new Military Programming Law (MPL), in it later became confirmed that a new project had been added.
In April 2023, Embraer announced the Super Tucano in NATO configuration, while also claiming that several European nations had shown interest in the aircraft (4). Later that month, a memorandum was signed 4 Portuguese companies and Embraer for the development of technologies associated with the A-29N. It was also stated that the Brazilian manufacturer would produce the NATO standard aircraft in cooperation with OGMA (5).
In April 2024, at a workshop about the MPL organised by idD Portugual Defence (6) it was revealed that this new project was named “Close Air Support” and had a budget of 180.5 million euros, during the workshop I enquired about the number of aircraft to be expected and timelines, however it was stated that both matters were under discussion and classified at the time.
In May 2024, at AED Days 2024, Portuguese Air Force Chief of Staff, General Cartaxo Alves, once again reinforced the reasons for a Light Attack Aircraft, stating once more the support to ground troops and ISR, and for the first time announcing that the aircraft would also fulfil the role of advanced pilot training (7).
Later in June 2024, the now Defence Minister Nuno Melo announced that the purchase of the aircraft would be legally approved very soon (8).
Now in December the only step left is the formal signing of the contract and the announcement of the expected timelines and the actual involvement of Portuguese industry.
Time will tell then if the aircraft purchased to provide close air support to ground forces in permissive environments will ever be deployed for such missions.
Sources :
1 https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc24/governo/comunicado-do-conselho-de-ministros?i=624
2 https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc24/governo/comunicado-do-conselho-de-ministros?i=652
3 https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei-organica/1-2023-219991254
6 https://www.iddportugal.pt/workshop-de-divulgacao-da-lpm-2024/
8 https://canal.parlamento.pt/?cid=7816&title=audicao-do-ministro-da-defesa-nacional