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The Dominican Republic Air Force achieves full operational capability of its TP 75 Dulus aircraft fleet
The Commander of the Dominican Republic Air Force (FARD), Major General Floreal T. Suárez Martínez, announced the operational consolidation of the fleet of ten TP-75 Dulus aircraft, a milestone marking a significant advance in the doctrinal and industrial modernization of Dominican military aviation. The announcement confirms that the FARD has completed the incorporation of this platform, designed for advanced training and air patrol, strengthening the surveillance of sovereign airspace and the training of new generations of military pilots.
With the completion of the ten aircraft, the FARD has established a training and patrol system designed to meet the contemporary demands of air defense, border surveillance, and the progressive training of military pilots. The TP-75 Dulus, assembled in the Dominican Republic in cooperation with the Italian firm Flying Legend, represents a platform with low operating costs, high reliability, and great versatility, aligned with modern doctrines of efficiency and logistical sustainability.
From a technical standpoint, the Dulus is based on a structural replica of the Embraer EMB-312 Tucano, with a reinforced aluminum fuselage and wings certified for high-load maneuvers. Powered by a turbocharged Rotax 915 engine, it incorporates digital avionics, autopilot, and advanced safety systems, including a ballistic parachute, making it an ideal aircraft for intermediate training and extended air patrol missions.
The announcement by Major General Suárez Martínez emphasized that the complete fleet strengthens the tiered training path for the next generations of FARD pilots, allowing for an orderly doctrinal transition from the Enaer T-35 Pillán to the TP-75 Dulus, before the operational conversion to the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, the primary attack platform. This scheme significantly reduces training costs for combat aircraft, optimizing flight hours and extending the service life of the most strategically valuable systems.
Operationally, the ten TP-75 Dulus aircraft are already conducting regular patrol and surveillance missions, especially in areas along the border with Haiti and sensitive areas of the national territory. Their low fuel consumption and simplified maintenance allow them to maintain a high operational rate, with an estimated flight cost significantly lower than that of traditional combat aircraft, thus increasing the air presence without compromising the defense budget.
The Dulus program also has an industrial and strategic dimension. Local assembly has strengthened the technical capabilities of the Air Maintenance Command and positioned the Dominican Republic as an emerging player in the aeronautical industry of the Caribbean islands and Central America. In fact, several countries in the region have expressed interest in evaluating the platform, attracted by its cost-benefit ratio and its suitability for forces with airspace control missions and the fight against transnational threats. (Douglas B. Colmenares)
