Paraguayan Air Force receives first Cessna SkyCourier in South America

Textron Aviation Inc., a unit of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), announced the delivery of a Cessna SkyCourier turboprop to the Paraguayan Air Force, marking what the company describes as the first South American military operation of the aircraft.

The purchase was funded by Itaipu Binacional, a binational entity operated by the governments of Brazil and Paraguay. The aircraft joins the Paraguayan Air Force's existing fleet of Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft.

The twin-engine, high-wing turboprop is intended to support medical evacuations, patient transport, and humanitarian aid during disaster relief efforts. The aircraft can be flown by a single pilot and carries a 6,000-pound payload capacity in its freighter configuration.

The SkyCourier is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC turboprop engines and features Garmin G1000 NXi avionics. It has a maximum cruise speed of more than 200 knots true airspeed and a maximum range of 900 nautical miles.

"Its rugged design and cost-effective maintenance make it ideal for high-utilization missions, from medical and casualty evacuation, disaster relief to humanitarian aid," said Bob Gibbs, vice president of Defense & Special Mission Sales at Textron Aviation.

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