The Paraguayan government officially received the fifth A-29 Super Tucano combat aircraft on Friday in a ceremony at the First Air Brigade in Luque, attended by President Santiago Peña and Defense Minister Óscar González. The delivery of the sixth and final aircraft in the batch is scheduled for the end of September, completing a fleet of six units acquired from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer.
The purchase contract, signed in 2024, involves a total investment that official sources place between 100 and 150 million dollars, a value that includes logistical support, simulators, and training. Minister González described the package as the largest investment in the Paraguayan Armed Forces in four decades, noting that an associated command and control radar system is due to be delivered by mid-2027.
In interviews, the minister stated that the four already operational aircraft have "substantially" reduced clandestine flights, often associated with drug trafficking, through aerial surveillance and joint work with the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad). However, he acknowledged limitations, citing an episode in which an irregular aircraft evaded interception because the fighters are not authorized to open fire unless there is direct risk. For full control of airspace, six to eight long-range radars would be needed, a capability the country still lacks.
During the ceremony, President Peña defended the acquisition as a historic milestone and a change in mindset. "We are witnessing a moment, an era that Paraguay is living," he declared, linking internal security to national progress. Air Force Commander General Julio Fullaondo stated that the aircraft will expand the capacity to detect, identify, and intercept irregular air traffic, in addition to increasing presence in strategic border zones.
The incorporation of these fighters is presented by the government as a central pillar in the fight against transnational organized crime, seeking to strengthen air sovereignty in the face of threats such as drug trafficking. With the sixth unit, the Paraguayan Air Force will complete the formation of its first full squadron of Super Tucanos in nearly 40 years.