XPost: alt.military, alt.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_314_Super_Tucano
The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano (English: Super Toucan),
also named ALX or A-29, is a Brazilian turboprop light
attack and counter-insurgency aircraft designed and built
by Embraer as a development of the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano.
The A-29 Super Tucano carries a wide variety of weapons,
including precision-guided munitions, and was designed
to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments.
In addition to its manufacture in Brazil, Embraer has set
up a production line in Portugal through the company OGMA
and in the United States in conjunction with Sierra Nevada
Corporation for the manufacture of A-29s to export customers.
The new aircraft was to be suited to the Amazon region
(high temperature, moisture, and precipitation; low military
threat). The ALX was then specified as a turboprop engine
plane with a long range and autonomy, able to operate night
and day, in any meteorological conditions, and able to land
on short airfields lacking infrastructure.
. . .
Came across this looking at some Brazilian news about
shooting down a dope-smuggling plane.
Incidently this scattered hundreds of pill paks all
over an indigenous tribe's area - so, if they don't
OD, expect a week-long party :-)
The interesting bit is that this 2-seater turbo-prop
IS military-capable and can support several kinds of
weapons systems. It is not intended to repel a Russian
invasion or anything, but within it's niche it is
a very economical and adequate solution to a variety
of smuggling and intrusion problems.
The company is now expanding production and supports
and expects many overseas contracts. These have even
been used in the Afghanistan war.
Now the USA always goes for extreme over-kill - Apache
choppers and jet fighters. Expensive to buy, expensive
to maintain. However for border and support operations
something like these may be the far better solution.
Cheap and easy and CAN take on smugglers and such.
The US mil was going to buy a bunch, but Beechcraft
lobbyists paid off somebody so it never happened.
In any case, there ARE still good uses for propeller
planes in modern mil/security operations. You do not
need a Mach-2 fighter along the Mex border or out in
the Florida straits. You could buy a dozen+ of these
things for the price of an F-15.
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