Chile’s Air Force Buys Super Tucanos
Related Stories: Americas - Other, Contracts - Awards, Fighters & Attack, Other Corporation, Specialty Aircraft
(click to view full)
After a public bidding process, Embraer and the Chilean Air Force (FACH) signed a contract for 12 EMB 314 Super Tucano advanced turboprop trainers and light attack aircraft. The Embraer proposal chosen by the FACh includes a broad Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) package, and an advanced Training and Operation Support System (TOSS) with 3 sub-systems: navigation and attack Mission Planning Station (MPS), Mission Debriefing Station (MDS), and Flight Simulator (FS).
The aircraft will be used for tactical training in close support and light strike roles. The aircraft can also be adapted to perform those roles themselves, and can accept clip-on pods like LITENING that turn them into surveillance aircraft with precision strike capabilities. The first Super Tucano should be delivered to the FACh in the second half of 2009. Price was not disclosed, and the ILS/TOSS add-ons make calculation difficult. As a point of comparison, however, Colombia paid $235 million for 25 aircraft in 2005.
Chile becomes the Super Tucano’s 3rd customer, after Brazil and Colombia. Its predecessor the EMB 312 Tucano has been ordered by 13 countries, and a UK-built S.312 variant is in service with 3 more.
