A delegation of the Armed Forces of Poland recently evaluated the Embraer light combat aircraft A-29 Super Tucano and medium transport aircraft Embraer C/KC-390 Millenniumwhich are currently being considered for the country’s future operational needs.
The visit to the facilities of the Defense & Security division of the Embraer company in Brazil took place in mid-January, the specialized portal Defence24 reported.
The delegation included representatives of the Polish Air Force and was led by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Major General Ireneusz Nowak. During the program, Soldiers had access to demonstration capabilities of both platforms, completed familiarization flights with the C/KC-390 Millennium and A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, and toured the Brazilian manufacturer’s production lines.
In addition to practical activities, technical specifications of the aircraft, configuration options, estimates of acquisition costs and expected operating costs, as well as preliminary business proposals for a possible contract were presented.
The Polish delegation also met with representatives of the Portuguese Air Force, one of the main operators of the KC-390 Millennium. Portugal has already ordered six to expand its fleet and acts as a sales partner for the platform.
In the tactical air transport segment, Warsaw compares the KC-390 Millennium with the US Lockheed Martin C-130J-30. The Brazilian aircraft uses engines derived from the Airbus A320 family and has an estimated list price of approximately US$85 million.
The A-29 Super Tucano, traditionally associated with counterinsurgency operations, was not previously a priority for Poland. For the same reason, the combat version of the domestic PZL PZL-130 Orlik training aircraft was not developed.
However, Embraer is promoting the Super Tucano as a platform optimized to combat heavy kamikaze One-Way Attack (OWA) class unmanned aerial vehicles, including threats such as Shahed — which corresponds to Poland’s efforts to strengthen its capabilities in the field of combating unmanned systems.
Source and images: Embraer | Defence24. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
