Key Points and Summary – The Embraer A-29 Super Tucano is a cheap, flexible turboprop built for low-threat counterinsurgency and Special Operations support—but it is no A-10 Warthog replacement.
-The A-29’s light payload, lack of armor, and limited survivability mean it cannot deliver the brutal, close-in firepower ground troops expect from the GAU-8-armed A-10.
A-29 Super Tucano from Brazil. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-Instead, SOCOM is fielding its own Armed Overwatch aircraft for ISR and light strike in austere theaters, while the broader Air Force looks to the F-15EX to inherit much of the high-end ground support mission.
-The A-29 has a niche, but it will never be the new Warthog.
Will The A-29 Super Tucano Replace the A-10? Not Likely
The A-29 Super Tucano is a low-cost, versatile aircraft meant to allow the U.S. Air Force to support Special Operations Forces conducting counterinsurgency operations.
Lt. Gen. James Slife, when he was commander of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), said the A-29 program was not a rehash of the earlier Air Force light attack program, but a much more versatile platform—exactly what AFSOC sought.
“I think SOCOM [Special Operations Command] envisions this as more of a multirole platform that can perform level delivery of precision munitions,” he said. “I think we can do that at relatively low risk, based on what we’ve seen from the vendors who have indicated that they intend to bring platforms to demonstrate for us in the coming months.”
But the A-29 Super Tucano cannot replace the A-10 Warthog as the Air Force’s close air support (CAS) aircraft. It is not nearly robust enough to conduct the kind of CAS that the A-10 provided.
Meet The A-29 Super Tucano
The A-29 Super Tucano is a tandem-seat, fully pressurized, turboprop aircraft built by Brazilian aerospace company Embraer.
Based on the EMB-312 Tucano trainer aircraft, the Super Tucano boasts twin .50-caliber machine guns mounted in each wing, as well as five hardpoints for ground attack munitions. Additionally, it mounts a radar warning receiver, as well as chaff and flare dispensers.
However, it can only carry 3,714 pounds of external weapons—including precision-guided munitions. In comparison, the A-10 carries 16,000 pounds of external ordnance.
The Super Tucano is a cheaper aircraft to operate and maintain than the bigger, heavily armored A-10. In a low-intensity conflict against an enemy without sophisticated air defenses, the A-29 would be a great fit, which is why SOCOM has considered it.
A-10 Warthog Elephant Walk. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The A-10 Is A One-of-a-Kind Aircraft
It is not fair to the A-29 to view it as a possible replacement for the A-10.
No aircraft—not the A-29, nor the F-35, nor even the F-15EX, which is rumored to be a possible replacement for the A-10—can put ground fire on a combat target the way the Warthog’s GAU-8 Avenger 30-mm gun can.
A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II flies over the Gulf of America, September 16, 2025. The F-15EX, from the 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is one of the first F-15EXs in the Air Force, and is going through developmental and operational test series at Eglin to confirm its operational capabilities before it is delivered to the combat Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles)
The A-10 is also renowned for its toughness. It has an unmatched ability to take significant groundfire and keep flying. It is also faster, carries much more ordnance, and has a longer loiter time than the A-29.
Is Close Air Support Less of A Requirement Now?
Last year, then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said that CAS was less of a requirement these days and that low- and slow-flying aircraft would not survive in a war with an enemy such as China.
The second half of the statement is totally true. On a modern battlefield, against an enemy like China or Russia armed with a plethora of anti-aircraft missiles, the A-10 would suffer terrible losses.
However, in many countries where special operators currently deploy, the A-10 would still be relevant. U.S. troops welcomed the Warthog for its deadly ability to suppress enemy forces. For the record, CAS is always a requirement for ground troops.
A-10 Warthog Cannon NSJ Photo. Taken at U.S. Air Force Museum on 7/19/2025.
US SOCOM Opted For Its Own CAS Aircraft
However, perhaps SOCOM saw the writing on the wall; it has purchased the lightweight Armed Overwatch aircraft that it controls. This is a highly modified version of the Air Tractor AT-802U, an aircraft typically used for crop dusting and firefighting.
SOCOM showed interest in the A-29 Super Tucano for the Armed Overwatch program, which aims to provide Special Operations forces with manned aircraft for CAS, precision strikes, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) in low-threat environments.
SOCOM anticipates budgets will be cut in the near future, after decades of increasing funding for the nation’s Special Operations forces. But SOCOM still sees the need for versatile platforms that can support its forces in austere environments.
Unlike past conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, during which an abundance of aircraft could fly overhead to support troops on the ground, such support may not be as readily available during future counter-terror missions.
In places such as western Africa, Somalia, and other global hotspots, Special Operations forces will need a versatile aircraft with the capacity to remain on station for several hours.
In addition to intelligence-gathering capabilities, the Armed Overwatch aircraft will also carry guns, precision-guided munitions, and other weapons to provide small Special Operations units with the support required to operate in austere environments.
The F-15EX Appears To Be The Next Ground Support Aircraft:
U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that the Michigan Air National Guard, which is set to lose its A-10 Warthogs in 2026, will be equipped with the F-15EX.
That means the squadron will have to be trained on the F-15EX. The aircraft has a payload of 29,000 pounds, plus two additional weapons stations. It can carry hypersonic missiles; up to 12 AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles or AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Anti-Aircraft Missiles; or a combination of up to 24 air-to-ground munitions.
The F-15EX also carries one internally mounted M61A1 20-mm six-barrel cannon armed with 500 rounds. The cannon is no match for the 30-mm, but it is powerful nonetheless.
The jet is also extremely fast, reaching Mach 2.5. Further, Michigan ANG pilots trained on the F-15EX could be teachers, training new pilots on the finer points of ground support.
By comparison, while the A-29 Super Tucano is a fine light aircraft that provides multi-mission versatility, it is far too light and lacks the firepower and armor needed to adequately replace the legendary A-10 Thunderbolt. The Air Force does have A-29s but uses them only in its Test Pilot School.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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Roger Honacki
November 28, 2025 at 12:02 pm
For the life of me I can’t understand why somebody doesn’t build an armored drone using smarts and FLIR from an MQ-9 Reaper and incorporating the GAU-8. No pilot would be in peril and you could provide the CAS the troops need.
Joseph RODRIGUES
November 28, 2025 at 4:46 pm
The Tucano has never been built to sub the A10. One is an Apple and the other a poisonous Apple