SAO PAULO, Brazil - Embraer has delivered the first two of six A-29 Super Tucanos ordered by the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU).

The FAU initially ordered a single aircraft in an agreement signed in August 2024, which included an option to purchase five more aircraft. It later converted those options into firm orders for the remaining five aircraft. The contract also includes mission equipment, integrated logistics services and a flight simulator.

The six new A-29s will be used to replace the FAU's fleet of aging Cessna A-37 attack jets and to expand its operational capabilities in airspace and border protection. Uruguay, a small country on the southeastern coast of South America, is bordered by Brazil to the north and Argentina to the west.

Air General Fernando Colina, Commander in Chief of the FAU, praised the A-29's advanced technology, operational flexibility, and proven performance in service with 22 air forces around the world.

The A-29 Super Tucano, powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop, can handle a wide variety of missions that do not require the high-end capability of a jet fighter. These include advanced pilot training, close air support, air patrol, interdiction, Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training, ISR, border surveillance, air escort, and counter-UAS operations.

The worldwide Super Tucano fleet has racked up over 600,000 flight hours in service to date, according to Embraer, including flying combat missions during counter-insurgency operations. Embraer says it designed the aircraft for high reliability, low maintenance, and operation from remote or unpaved airfields while maintaining relatively low life-cycle costs.

Source: Forecast International
Author: D. Royce, Analyst 

CYPRUS - THEON International Plc has secured new firm orders from European NATO member states and countries in the Middle East, totaling approximately €41 million. These orders include both night vision goggles and thermal clip-on devices. The majority of this order intake is part of a newly signed framework agreement with a European NATO country (the fourth one over the last few months) that includes additional options worth c.€40 million.

In addition, separately from the above orders and options, THEON has received a new order under the Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggle (SBNVG) program for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). This represents the fourth delivery order under the multi-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract awarded in 2023. The order converts volumes from soft backlog into firm contractual commitments, thereby strengthening THEON’s hard backlog and securing delivery visibility under the program through 2027.

Source: THEON
Associated URL: https://theon.com/

PETAH TIKVA, Israel - Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd., a provider of satellite networking technology, solutions, and services, announced today that its defense division, Gilat Defense, has been awarded a contract valued $9 million by Israel’s Ministry of Defense for the delivery and integration of satellite communication systems and services.

The order includes next generation defense modems which are a key component of Gilat’s ground system Defense solution. These modems will significantly enhance the system’s ability to deliver secure, reliable, and flexible communications. Built for mission-critical operations, they are engineered to operate dependably in harsh and unpredictable environments, ensuring robust connectivity across a wide range of operational scenarios.

Source: Gilat
Associated URL: https://www.gilat.com/