Nov 19, 2025 - Technology

Embraer teases counter-drone missions for Super Tucano

Colin Demarest

Gray military plane on runway with propeller spinning, guided by person in yellow vest, with snow-capped mountains and cloudy sky in background at dusk. — An A-29 Super Tocano arrives on the island of Crete. Photo: Heather Judkins/DVIDS

Embraer is now marketing the A-29 Super Tucano as a drone killer, equipped with sensors, laser-guided rockets and .50 caliber machine guns.

The big picture: The drone-counter-drone dynamic is producing novel technologies and tactics; in Eastern Europe — a hot spot — everything from prop planes to AI-empowered turrets to helicopter door-gunners are fair game.

Driving the news: Embraer on Nov. 11 rolled out imagery depicting two Super Tucanos engaging four small unmanned aerial systems above a coastline.

"We continue to expand the A-29's capabilities to address the most recent challenges faced by many nations worldwide," Bosco da Costa Junior, Embraer Defense and Security's chief executive, said in a statement.
The light-attack aircraft is already used for close air support, armed reconnaissance and training. It's been selected by more than a dozen countries, including Paraguay, Portugal and Uruguay.

Flashback: Sierra Nevada Corporation, a defense contractor, in September announced a plan to buy one Super Tucano in advance of a pending foreign military sale.

What's next: More of these rebrands and pivots from more of these defense contractors.

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Embraer teases counter-drone missions for Super Tucano

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