The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) A-29 Super Tucano aircraft 5959, from Boa Vista Air Base (BABV), and A-29 Super Tucano 5730, from Porto Velho Air Base (BAPV), took part between September 22 and 26 in a testing campaign organized by the Aeronautical Material Park of Lagoa Santa (PAMA-LS), the Institute for Industrial Promotion and Coordination (IFI), the Flight Test and Research Institute (IPEV), and a team of Embraer engineers.
The objective of the activity was to validate the replacement of the Bendix/King KLN90B GPS system with Garmin’s GPS 175. The upgrade integrates the new navigation system with the A-29’s avionics and displays, in addition to incorporating NVG (Night Vision Goggles) and RNAV (Area Navigation) capabilities. These improvements expand the aircraft’s operational functionalities and ensure compliance with current air navigation requirements.
The validation flight, which marked the completion of the testing campaign, was carried out on September 26, 2025. “It’s an obsolescence solution and a prerequisite for the fleet’s modernization. The modernization of these aircraft, which is being conducted by the Coordinating Committee of the Combat Aircraft Program (COPAC), requires that the GPS has already been updated with the latest air navigation capabilities, following international standards,” emphasized Major Engineer Daniel de Oliveira Montenegro regarding the importance of this stage.
With this validation, the project moves forward toward a new milestone in the A-29 fleet modernization process, strengthening cooperation among the research, development, and promotion entities of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and the national industry.
The modernization process of the A-29 began taking shape at the 2023 Paris Air Show, when Embraer and the FAB announced the start of feasibility studies for the aircraft’s mid-life upgrade. On that occasion, Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, stated: “The FAB will be able to rely on an extensive list of updates already implemented throughout the aircraft’s life, which have kept the platform technologically up-to-date without affecting its low operational cost… And if the FAB deems, during the studies, the need for new functionalities and capabilities not yet developed, Embraer can develop and implement them on demand…”
The Air Force Commander, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, noted in that announcement that “since entering service in the Brazilian Air Force, the A-29 has performed with excellence in the various missions assigned to it. The proposed upgrade should allow the Air Force to keep the platform modern and extend the operational use of this versatile and extremely reliable aircraft for many years.”
Images obtained from the Brazilian Air Force.
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