Super Tucano Nets Sale to Mali

The agreement, signed at the 2015 Paris Air Show, nets another customer for Brazil's largest defense firm.

Although the sale is relatively small, it is notable as it increases the ties between the two countries, something highlighted by the statement of Jackson Schneider, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, that the sale is to "another important customer in Africa, where several countries already operate the Super Tucano."

Similarly, Tieman Coulibaly, Mali's defense minister, said he is "quite satisfied with the way our military and defense cooperation with the Federal Republic of Brazil is developing."

Embraer's most notable customer remains the US Air Force, which selected the Super Tucano for its Light Air Support program that supplies Afghanistan with 20 of the planes. The Brazilian firm won that contract in 2013 after a lengthy legal battle with the Beechcraft AT-6.

The AT-6 is the A-29's only true competitor, but Textron AirLand is eyeing a similar market space with its Scorpion aircraft, a jet instead of a turboprop. The Scorpion, however, has yet to land a customer, and the number of nations looking for a lower-tier fighter aircraft are limited.

For more on the Paris Air Show, click here.

Twitter: @AaronMehta

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