The Tremendous Tucano, utilizing laser-guided rockets and weapons, would add a less expensive counter-drone functionality to counter uneven threats.
Brazil’s Embraer has pitched a counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) mission functionality for its well-known A-29 Tremendous Tucano single-engine turboprop plane. Reflecting the present pattern of proliferating low-cost drones changing into disruptive uneven weapons, utilized by each typical militaries and non-state actors alike, Embraer mentioned on Nov. 11, 2025, that it’s increasing the A-29’s “mission portfolio to counter fashionable unmanned threats successfully and affordably.”
Each industrial and battlespace developments world over, together with the South American continent, are motivating the hassle. August noticed narcotics smugglers destroy a Colombian Nationwide Police UH-60 Black Hawk with an FPV (First Individual View) drone. The explosive-strapped UAV hit the plane whereas it was on the bottom releasing personnel in an anti-narcotic operation within the forested hilly areas of Amalfi, with twelve personnel reportedly killed within the assault.
In Colombia, native militants used an FPV drone to shoot down a police helicopter UH-60 Black Hawk carrying authorities personnel in an anti-drug operation. pic.twitter.com/V4vgpCsYAw
— Particular Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) August 22, 2025
Drug-running operations southwards in Brazil had seen the Brazilian Air Power (Força Aérea Brasileira – FAB) announce a significant improve of its 68 A-29A/Bs (army designation of the EMB 314) to the A-29M normal with electro-optical sensors, a brand new cockpit with a WAD (Large-Angle Show), and a BR-2 datalink to coordinate higher with its Saab Gripens.
This is able to additionally assist Gradual Shifting Intercept (SMI) roles towards small plane carrying narcotics. A 2021 incident noticed FAB A-29s taking pictures down an plane carrying 265 kg of medicine.
NEWS | Embraer to increase A-29 Tremendous Tucano capabilities to counter Unmanned Aerial Techniques. Learn full information: pic.twitter.com/AhVWdMeV0y
— Embraer (@embraer) November 11, 2025
Price asymmetry and easy drones
The difference of the Tremendous Tucano to battle drones isn’t an remoted growth. One other one is the Air Tractor AT-802U Sky Warden, the bottom plane of the OA-1K Skyraider II, which is being adopted by Israel because the Blue Sky Warden.
The objective is to drive down the associated fee and asymmetry skilled in taking pictures down Houthi One-Approach Assault (OWA) drones. Whereas the objective is comparable, that platform isn’t a detailed competitor within the Tremendous Tucano‘s class, since it’s primarily not a primary battle coach.
APKWS II rockets, EO programs, heavy armored physique, information hyperlinks, SATCOM antennae and different avionics replicate the dangerously low-cost, efficient uneven menace Israel confronted earlier than Houthi drones, and anti-infantry/counter-insurgency operations towards Hamas and Hezbollah. Nevertheless, these are additionally helpful capabilities in a Counter-UAS position.
A U.S. Air Power F-16 Combating Falcon conducts a fight air patrol over the U.S. Central Command space of accountability. By delivering vital sources to U.S. and coalition plane in flight, we assure war-winning airpower all through the area.@USAFCENT📷 Employees Sgt.… pic.twitter.com/rwI73H9VXr
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 1, 2025
In Europe, Ukrainian drones have introduced down Russian helicopters, whereas Ukrainian helicopters are taking pictures down Russian Geran-2 drones by utilizing door weapons. An plane just like the Tremendous Tucano or the AT-802U would permit to spare extra expensive aerial platforms and surface-to-air defenses whereas countering drones and cruise missiles.
🔥🔥The crew of the Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter is chasing and taking pictures down the russian-iranian heavy kamikaze drone by hitting its tail part with hearth from an M134 “Minigun” machine gun pic.twitter.com/410Vr3zrA9
— Angelica Shalagina🇺🇦 (@angelshalagina) November 13, 2025
Israeli Apache helicopters have equally shot down Hezbollah UAVs, whereas U.S. Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and French NH90 Caiman naval helicopters have been used to down Houthi drones. Each Russia and Ukraine have additionally adopted their Soviet-era Yak-52 trainers for the drone-hunting roles.
EUNAVFOR ASPIDES 🇪🇺 | Interception par l’hélicoptère de la frégate 🇫🇷 d’un drone aérien en provenance du Yémen menaçant le trafic maritime civil en mer Rouge.➡️ La priorité: assurer la liberté de navigation et la sûreté maritime de Suez à Ormuz pic.twitter.com/KQ8DD17hRL
— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) March 20, 2024
A-29 Tremendous Tucano with APKWS II
There are limitations with utilizing radar-less turboprops with slower speeds and thus longer time to succeed in the engagement zone. Nevertheless, if geared up with EO programs, weapons and APKWS II rockets, in addition to the power to coordinate with floor radars and larger plane over information hyperlinks, they might unburden bigger plane just like the F-16s and F-15s and air protection programs from countering pesky drones.
The APKWS II rocket, and particularly the AGR-20F FALCO with particular software program for counter-drone roles, significantly cuts the associated fee asymmetry initially skilled earlier than Houthis projectiles. In actual fact, a single APKWS II 70 mm rocket prices round $30,000, and it’s thus extra fitted to Houthi and Iranian OWA drones price $15,000-$20,000, in comparison with AIM-9 Sidewinders and AIM-120 AMRAAMs that price $450,000 to $1 million apiece.
The prevailing A-29s have a wing-mounted. 50 mm heavy-caliber machine gun EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infra-Pink) sensor turret, affording a primary counter-drone functionality. The press launch by Embraer implied integration with the APKWS, or an analogous system, that future and present customers can go for.
“Counting on A-29 options in operation and new sensors, together with particular datalinks for receiving preliminary goal coordinates and queueing, the Electro-Optical/ Infra-Pink (EO/IR) sensor for laser monitoring and designation, in addition to the laser guided rockets and the wing-mounted .50 machine weapons for neutralizing focused Unmanned Aerial Techniques (UAS), the Operational Idea (CONOPS) outlined by Embraer will permit present and future A-29 operators so as to add counter drone missions to their operational profiles every time wanted,” Embraer mentioned.
Evolution in response to present threats
Embraer’s President and CEO Bosco da Costa Junior mentioned the growth of the A-29 Tremendous Tucano’s capabilities is in response to “the latest challenges confronted by many countries worldwide.”
“The continued challenges in fashionable warfare and the current conflicts worldwide have proven the pressing want for options to battle drones,” mentioned the President. “The A-29 is the perfect instrument to counter UAS successfully and at low price, including to the plane’s already intensive mission set that features shut air help, armed reconnaissance, superior coaching, and lots of others.”
Just like the Skyraider II, the tandem-seat Tremendous Tucano can cowl the position of an armed reconnaissance and assault plane. These embody a rugged, sturdy design that may be employed from austere airstrips and excessive loiter time, helpful for Shut Air Assist (CAS), air patrol, air interdiction, Joint Terminal Assault Controller (JTAC) coaching, armed Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), border surveillance, and air escort missions.
The Tremendous Tucano is in any other case a extensively used coach plane, operated by 22 air forces which collectively flew 600,000 flight hours. The U.S. Air Power and Portugal are two distinguished customers, with the previous’s Take a look at Pilot College receiving three models early in October 2024.
🚨 FAB e forças de segurança apreendem aeronave e 1 tonelada de cocaína em MT
Nesta sexta-feira (26/09), a Força Aérea Brasileira por meio do Comando de Operações Aeroespaciais (COMAE), em ação conjunta com a Polícia Federal, Gefron/MT, PM/MT e CIOPAER/MT, apreendeu cerca de 1… pic.twitter.com/udI98Uh9p4
— Força Aérea Brasileira 🇧🇷 (@fab_oficial) September 27, 2025
The Tremendous Tucanos had been initially acquired by the Air Power Particular Operations Command, “however divested after mission necessities modified.” This was after the conclusion of the warfare in Afghanistan, with the USAF coaching Afghan pilots to fly the A-29. The 412th Take a look at Wing at Edwards AFB, California, commenced coaching operations with its A-29Cs this July.
