Keeping Faith With Light Close Air Support

The appeal of light, close air support aircraft endures in a region increasingly worried by the likelihood of returning Daesh fighters adding to existing insurgency challenges.

- David Oliver

With internal threats from Daesh-linked militants, the light attack aircraft is a sought after weapon for a growing number of Asia Pacific countries. The latest generation of counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft are specialised variants of basic or advanced training aircraft designed for close air support (CAS) and armed reconnaissance missions in low-intensity operations.

In 2010 the United States Air Force (USAF) issued a Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft requirement for the then Afghanistan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC) to be fielded by 2013. The programme called for fixed-wing single-engine turboprop platform, with a number of critical requirements that the winning aircraft had to fulfil including a rough-field capability without ground support, dual controls, ejection seats, specific airto-ground weapons and systems, as well as a defensive-aids system.

Two contenders for the LAS programme turned out to be adaptations of basic trainer aircraft, the Brazilian Embraer A-29 Super Tucano and the American Beechcraft AT-6B Texan II, while a third was a modified agricultural crop sprayer, the Air Tractor AC-802U. None were designed as armed reconnaissance/ COIN platforms.

Finally, on 27 February 2013 Embraer and its partner Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) was awarded a $427 million contract to supply 20 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to be built in Jacksonville, Florida, as well as ground-based training equipment, pilot and maintenance training, and logistical support.

The first production A-29 LAS aircraft was delivered to Moody Air Force Base (AFB) in September 2014 prior to training of Afghan pilots and maintainers. AAF A-29 Super Tucanos based in Kabul took part in their first air strike operations against Taliban targets in Afghanistan in April 2016 since when an additional four aircraft have been ordered for the Afghan Air Force (AAF).