Super Tucano for US in Iraq?

SAO PAULO, Brazil -Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer is in the early stages of a U.S. government tender process to buy eight light planes for use in Iraq, local media reported Monday.

The company will probably offer its Super Tucano turboprop plane if the tender goes through, said Luiz Carlos Siqueira Aguiar, Embraer (nyse: ERJ - news - people )'s vice president for government and defense markets, during an event at Embraer's base in Sao Jose dos Campos. His comments were published by Brazilian news agency Estado.

(AP)

The Super Tucano is a versatile and maneuverable fighter plane. I saw it discussed at EU Referendum, which now sub-categorizes defense subjects at Defence of the Realm. After seeing that mention I've followed news about the plane as I have MRAPs and the JLTV competition.

clipped from www.templarsquadron.com

Ecuador shopping for Super Tucanos

QUITO, April 29 (Reuters) - Ecuador will buy 24 warplanes made by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer (ERJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research)(EMBR3.SA: Quote, Profile, Research), Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told Reuters on Tuesday.

[...]

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said he planned to beef up it country's air force to protect its porous border with Colombia after that country bombed a leftist rebel camp inside Ecuador.

The March 1 incursion briefly raised the threat of war, but tensions eased during a regional meeting a week later. Ecuador has severed diplomatic ties with Bogota and tensions remain high between both countries.

(Reuters)

I guess Ecuador doesn't want anybody messing with its rebel (FARC) bases.

Seriously, it is possible to see an analogy to Pakistan with the latter's reluctance to allow US strikes against Taliban targets in Pakistan. Though Pakistan at least says that it is willing to conduct operations against Taliban groups if good information comes to light. I don't know that is the case with Ecuador. One might dare to hope that the Super Tucano, a capable turboprop fighter thought valuable for counterinsurgency operations (COIN), is regarded by Ecuadorean leaders as a tool to use against unwelcome FARC bases in Ecuador rather than (or in addition to) providing security against Columbian incursions.

We'll see how it pans out.

clipped from www.deagel.com

Columbia ordered 24 Super Tucanos a couple of years ago, as it happens. The Super Tucano above is with the Columbian Air Force.

Blackwater to purchase Super Tucano aircraft

August 27, 2007: Security company Blackwater U.S.A. is buying Super Tucano light combat aircraft from the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. These five ton, single engine, single seat aircraft are built for pilot training, but also perform quite well for counter-insurgency work. Brazil.
(StrategyPage)

Note that StrategyPage calls the Super Tucano a single-seat aircraft. That conflicts with my earlier report, though the plane does have a two-seat version for training. Blackwater is purchasing one of the trainers. Not a bad idea if they want to give their pilots training with the new planes.

There's just one thing that bothers me about this story, and that is that Wonkette wrote about the story before I did.

If my analysis is thin, theirs is thinner.

clipped from www.airforce-technology.com

More nice pics, along with some specifications, at this French page. One of the photos looks rather a lot like an artist's conception.

Super Tucano video: Inside the cockpit

This is pretty cool.

I just posted on the Super Tucano aircraft (super toucan, in English) aircraft, used in counterinsurgency operations in South America.

There's really no telling what you can find on Youtube ... I'm telling you!



The video makes clear that the aircraft is a two-seater. It's frequently used as a trainer as a result, but in counterinsurgency operations the second person can assist with the details of the mission.

The new Air Force? Smaller, slower planes may offer some advantages

clipped from www.airforce-technology.com

The photo shows three "Super Tucano" aircraft. Brazil uses them for counter-insurgency operations.

What am I doing posting about prop planes in a modern air force? One of the blogs on my regular visit rotation is EU Referendum. They posted about the small planes a number of times, most recently in a story concerned with friendly-fire incidents. The smaller planes may allow safer coordination with ground forces. I can't speak to the vulnerability of such planes to surface-to-air weapons. I imagine that heat-seeking missiles would be at a disadvantage in tracking the Tucano (toucan).

It would be interesting, given the advances in fighter-plane maneuverability and speed, if a propeller-driven plane turned into the weapon of choice for air support of troops engaged against insurgents.