Embraer unveils anti-drone upgrade for its popular Super Tucano light strike aircraft

Major Brazil-based aerospace and defence group Embraer has announced that it is adapting its very successful A-29 Super Tucano turboprop light attack aircraft to also be able to destroy drones. Drones have become a major factor in modern wars, and were also beginning to appear in African conflicts as well. Consequently, combatting them – known formally as Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) missions – has become a major concern, worldwide. The A-29 is currently operated, or on order, by 22 countries. The known African operators are Angola, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria. More than 290 of the aircraft have been ordered, and more than 260 delivered, so far. The global fleet had so far accumulated a total flying time of more than 600 000 hours.