The US Air Force has divested its three Embraer A-29 Super Tucanos after the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, found that the aircraft did not meet its training requirements. The aircraft are in storage and are not expected to return to flight for Air Force use. The school is exploring other platforms for spin training and mission-systems instruction.
Air Force Special Operations Command originally acquired the aircraft, but relinquished them after its mission requirements changed. They moved to Edwards in 2024 and entered the test school’s curriculum in 2025, with planned roles in stall and spin training and instruction on sensors and mission systems.
An Air Force Test Center notice posted on 29 October proposes sole-source, on-call support from Sierra Nevada Company for the stored aircraft. The work would cover limited maintenance and ground movement, not restoration to airworthiness. Responses to the notice are due by 13 November; it does not confirm that a contract has been awarded.
The notice does not specify the aircraft’s eventual disposition. Their divestment ends the Air Force’s use of its three A-29s, while the test school considers alternatives for the training and instruction originally assigned to the fleet.