ASHGABAT. Aug 2 (Interfax) - Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has become acquainted with the new military aircraft that have been delivered to the Armed Forces and has flown in one of them during a working trip to the Balkan velayat (region) of the country.
Turkmen television channels aired reports about it in their news bulletins on Monday.
Dressed in a special suit, in the full outfit of a military pilot, Berdimuhamedow took his place at the helm of a new military aircraft, namely, an A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft, which is designed to solve the tasks of air support for ground units.
A Turkmen television report shows how Berdimuhamedow, sitting in the co-pilot's cockpit, flew over the expanses of the steppe and the mountains adjacent to the state border and over the Caspian Sea.
The president, making sharp turns on board the military aircraft, tested its capabilities to maneuver sharply, gain altitude, and change speed.
During the flight, the Turkmen leader repeatedly reported to the ground and gestured to the aircraft accompanying him that he was satisfied with the technical capabilities and condition of the military aircraft.
Upon completing the test flight, the Turkmen leader agreed with Defense Minister Begench Gundogdyev's request to transfer to the museum of the military school named after Berdimuhamed Annayev (Berdimuhamedov's grandfather) under construction in Ashgabat the flight uniform the president wore at the helm of the plane.
This symbolic step "will be of great importance in fostering in servicemen purposefulness, patriotism, love for the Fatherland and the people, and respect for the traditions of their ancestors," Berdimuhamedow said.
Noting the high level of the technical equipment of the new aircraft, the Turkmen leader said that this military plane is capable of performing combat missions in any weather conditions at different altitudes.
"The material and technical base of all branches of the Armed Forces will be systematically strengthened through the purchase of new military equipment, and all existing equipment will be used effectively," Berdimuhamedow said, emphasizing that the state authorities will focus on improving the qualifications of servicemen.
According to foreign publications, the A-29A Super Tucano light attack aircraft was developed by the Brazilian company Embraer on the basis of the EMB-314 trainer aircraft. This military aircraft is designed to protect airspace, conduct reconnaissance, support the actions of ground forces, and is necessary for the training of military pilots. For example, this attack aircraft is used in operations to combat illegal armed groups in neighboring Afghanistan.
The attack aircraft has a crew of two, a maximum takeoff weight of 5,400 kilos, a maximum flight speed of 560 km/h, a service ceiling of 10,600 meters, a ferry range of 2,850 kilometers (with two external fuel tanks), and a range up to 750 kilometers depending on the flight profile and combat load.
The attack aircraft is armed with two built-in 12.7-mm machine guns (ammunition for 200 rounds), a container with a 20-mm automatic cannon, guided air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and unguided missiles, and bombs (maximum combat load of 1,500 kilos) can be placed on five suspension points.
The power plant of the aircraft includes a PT6A-68-3 turboprop engine manufactured by the Canadian branch of Pratt & Whitney.
According to foreign media reports, as part of military assistance to Afghanistan, the Pentagon planned to transfer to the country 26 A-29A attack aircraft, which are being assembled by the Brazilian-U.S. joint venture Sierra Nevada.