Embraer would be in final negotiations with Turkmenistan to sign an agreement for the sale of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft. According to Airway (Brazil), two aircraft are on their way to the Central Asian country, the PT-ZHI and PT-ZHJ registration aircraft.
On Thursday, the two planes were stopped in the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha and would take off on Friday towards Cape Verde. They are equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks and had their military identifications covered.
Rumors point out that Embraer has been talking to the Turkmen government since 2019 with the aim of ordering six training and light attack aircraft. Both parties, however, deny the fact.
On June 13, 2019, Turkmenistan state TV broadcast images of a demonstration of the Super Tucano in the country. The aircraft was identified with the registration PT-ZTU, an Embraer demonstration unit, but the Brazilian manufacturer did not confirm the visit.
Small Air Force
A former Soviet republic, Turkmenistan has an Air Force with few planes, almost all of which were supplied in the communist period. There are 24 MiG-29 fighters, 20 Su-25 attack planes, some An-26 and An-74 transport planes, in addition to Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters.
If it closes an agreement with Embraer, the country will not be the first in the region to fly the Super Tucano. Neighboring Afghanistan has operated the light attack aircraft for several years, with about 20 units delivered through the United States.
