A delegation from the Polish Armed Forces recently evaluated the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light combat aircraft and the Embraer C/KC-390 Millennium medium transport aircraft, both currently being considered to meet the country’s future operational requirements.
The visit to Embraer’s Defense & Security facilities in Brazil took place in mid-January, according to the specialized publication Defence24.
The delegation included representatives of the Polish Air Force and was led by the Deputy Commander-General, Major General Ireneusz Nowak. During the agenda, the officers had access to demonstration capabilities of both platforms, carried out familiarization flights with the C/KC-390 Millennium and the A-29 Super Tucano, and inspected the Brazilian manufacturer’s production lines.
In addition to the practical activities, technical specifications of the aircraft were presented, along with configuration options, acquisition cost estimates, projected operating costs, and preliminary commercial proposals for a potential contract.
The Polish delegation also met with representatives of the Portuguese Air Force, one of the main operators of the KC-390 Millennium. Portugal has already ordered six units to expand its fleet and acts as a reseller of the platform.
In the tactical airlift segment, Warsaw is comparing the KC-390 Millennium with the U.S.-made Lockheed Martin C-130J-30. The Brazilian aircraft uses engines derived from the Airbus A320 family, and its estimated list price is approximately US$ 85 million.
The A-29 Super Tucano, traditionally associated with counterinsurgency missions, had not previously been among Poland’s priorities. For the same reason, the combat version of the national trainer aircraft PZL PZL-130 Orlik was not developed.
However, Embraer has been promoting the Super Tucano as a platform optimized to counter heavy One-Way Attack (OWA) kamikaze UAVs, including threats of the Shahed type—an approach aligned with Poland’s efforts to strengthen its capabilities against unmanned systems.
Source and images: Embraer | Defence24. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
