What Happened
Embraer Adapts Versatile Attack Plane For Drone Defense
Embraer is adapting its A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS), providing a potentially more effective and cost-efficient solution to the growing problem of inexpensive attack drones. The A-29 uses air-to-air precision rockets, internal wing guns, and an electro-optical/infrared sensor to engage drones, and its turboprop engine is better suited for pacing and defeating slower-moving aerial threats. Embraer is working with an undisclosed country on a proof-of-concept demonstration to refine the operational concept and optimize the human-machine interface. This development was first reported by Breaking Defense.