Brazilian Air Force A-29 Super Tucano aircraft conducted another interception of aircraft crossing from Venezuela into the state of Roraima in December 2025, as the FAB continues to intensify airspace control operations along Brazil’s northern border. The actions are part of a broader joint effort with the Federal Revenue Service and domestic security agencies.
The FAB has stepped up deployments of both the A-29 Super Tucano and the F-5M Tiger II for interdiction missions over the Amazon basin, targeting aircraft suspected of involvement in drug trafficking and illegal gold mining. The Roraima region, bordering both Venezuela and Guyana, is one of the most frequently used corridors for unauthorized aircraft entering Brazilian airspace.
The A-29 Super Tucano, developed by Embraer and in FAB service since the early 2000s, is the central platform for COIN (Counter-Insurgency) and border patrol missions. Light, economical and equipped with precision weapons including a FLIR camera and 20mm cannon, the aircraft has proven ideally suited for surveillance and interception in the jungle environment.
Sensor aircraft such as the E-99 airborne early warning platform play a key role in detecting and identifying suspicious aircraft before fighters are scrambled, providing the FAB with a layered approach to border airspace control.
