Sun, Jan 11, 2009
Will Be Used For Anti-Drug Trafficking Missions
Embraer confirmed the sale Friday of eight Super Tucano aircraft
to the government of the Dominican Republic through a contract that
was finalized at the end of 2008.
The aircraft will be operated by the nation's Air Force to
perform internal security and border patrol missions, within an
operations theater focusing on fighting the drug traffic. Embraer
says this is the third export contract for the turboprop aircraft,
following sales to the Air Forces of Colombia (FAC) and Chile
(FACH).
To date, 63 units of the Super Tucano have already been
delivered to the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea
Brasileira – FAB) and 25 to the FAC, and they are
successfully used for border surveillance and other operational
missions. In all, 144 aircraft have been sold to four Latin
American customers.
The FAC received its 25th Super Tucano in August of last year,
thus finalizing the deliveries begun to this customer, in December
2006. The contract was the first export of this aircraft, and the
agreement included TOSS (Training and Operation Support System), an
advanced training and operational support system with ground
stations. The FACH agreement for the sale of 12 aircraft was also
announced by Embraer in August 2008.
The Super Tucano went into operation with the FAB in December
2003, to be used for pilot training, as well as for operational
missions. This capability ranks the Super Tucano as the world's
only aircraft in production that is able to handle advanced pilot
training and surveillance and counter-insurgency missions, even at
night, using night vision goggles and electro-optical and infrared
sensors.
The advanced trainer and small arms fighter aircraft was
designed to operate in the most complex combat settings, including
the capability of night vision, smart weaponry, and data link
technology. Besides a reinforced structure for operations on rustic
landing fields, the aircraft has an advanced navigation and weapon
aiming system that ensures high mission precision and reliability,
even under extreme conditions and without logistic support.
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