Embraer certifying counter-drone kit for Super Tucano with existing operator

Embraer is working with an existing customer to certify a counter-drone capability on the A-29 Super Tucano, its light attack turboprop.

Frederico Lemos, chief commercial officer of Embraer's defence unit, called the effort active and ongoing. Speaking in an interview on 15 September at the Air & Space Forces Association conference near Washington, DC, he said the manufacturer is working with a particular nation on integrating the capability. Lemos did not identify the country, but said it already operates the Super Tucano.

The counter-UAS package is part of a broader A-29 modernisation plan. That plan includes a new large-area cockpit display and a video data link, which Lemos said would improve situational awareness and information management for pilots on the counter-UAS mission. An external fuel tank would extend loitering time, a factor on anti-drone sorties.

Earlier this year, Embraer teamed with US company Valkyrie Aero to add an artificial intelligence suite to the Super Tucano for counter-UAS work, according to the source.

The aircraft can already carry an electro-optical targeting sensor and BAE Systems 70mm APKWS laser-guided rockets. Those rockets are a common choice for downing drones and one-way attack munitions because they are cheap and widely available. The single-engined turboprop's operating cost is roughly $1,500 per flight hour, which the manufacturer markets as an advantage for a mission that involves intercepting large numbers of slow, low-flying targets. Embraer is presenting the A-29 as a low-cost option for air-to-air counter-drone defence.