Embraer Defense & Security and Valkyrie Aero are expanding the mission capabilities of the A-29 Super Tucano by integrating artificial intelligence to counter unmanned aerial systems. The partnership incorporates Valkyrie’s “Gunslinger” AI suite, designed to provide real-time tactical decision support for “find, fix and finish” operations against evolving drone threats.
Current defense strategies have been criticized for being too expensive. Using a $1 million interceptor missile to down a $30,000 drone like the Iranian Shahed is not a sustainable option. The Gunslinger AI on the A-29 is being positioned as the specific solution to this “asymmetric” problem by using low-cost machine guns and precision rockets guided by AI to clear the skies more cheaply.
The A-29 is a light attack and counterinsurgency (COIN) aircraft developed by Embraer in Brazil. Powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68C turboprop engine producing around 1,600 shaft horsepower, it has a top speed of 320 knots and a cruise speed of 280 knots. Designed to operate from austere airstrips in hot and high environments, it offers an endurance of 5.2 hours when equipped with drop tanks.
The Super Tucano’s standard armament includes two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns, one in each wing. Five hardpoints allow a mix of ordnance to be carried, including 20mm cannon pods and precision-guided munitions. For sensors, it features an integrated avionics suite with a heads-up display (HUD), night-vision goggle compatibility, and provisions for a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) targeting pod, enabling effective day/night and all-weather operations. While not designed for air-to-air combat, the emergence of cheap, slow-moving drones as a major component of modern strike missions in Ukraine and Iran led Embraer to tout the Super Tucano as a more economic air defense platform than jet fighters.
While the A-29 is already capable of engaging drones, adding artificial intelligence will increase the speed with which it can down targets during swarm attacks by large numbers of low-cost drones like Iran’s Shahed. Valkyrie’s Gunslinger system is designed to process data taken directly from the aircraft’s onboard sensors to identify and track multiple drone threats simultaneously. The AI assists pilots in deciding which threats are most immediate and providing the most efficient firing solution for neutralizing them.
The A-29’s high speed, agility and extended loiter time allow it to patrol an area for extended period, then use its high mobility to move to intercept an enemy attack. It can match the speed of one-way attack drones, allowing it to down the drone with gunfire, guided rockets, or other less costly munitions than the missiles used by fast movers like fighter jets or ground-based systems.
The A-29 has flown more than 60,000 combat flight hours with a range of operators around the world, primarily in Latin America and Africa. The aircraft is assembled in Jacksonville, Florida, for U.S. and international military customers.
A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Douglas Royce currently co-edits Forecast International's Military Aircraft Forecast and Aviation Gas Turbine Forecast. As such, he plays a key role in many important projects that involve market sizing and forecasting for various segments of the world aerospace industry, as well as demand for related systems.
