The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) needed a replacement for the obsolete AT-26 Xavante light attack and training aircraft. In 1981, after extensive negotiations between the countries, the Brazilian company Embraer was invited to take part in the Italian project of the AMX, resulting in the AMX-International consortium. The project was split into three companies: 46.7% for Aeritalia (including the central fuselage), 23.6% for Aermacchi (which included the front fuselage), and 29.7% for Embraer (including the wings, landing gear, and disposable fuel tanks). The first prototype of the AMX first flew on 15 May 1984. The Brazilians decided to use two 30 mm DEFA cannons as primary armament instead of a 20 mm minigun. The AMX entered service with the FAB in 1989 and was upgraded to the A-1M standard in 2013, almost the same version as the Italian AMX A-11A ACOL.

Introduced in Update "Seek & Destroy", the AMX A-1A is pre-upgrade to the A-1M standard. Compared to the Italian A-11A, the AMX A-1A has different armaments as primary weapons with two powerful 30 mm DEFA cannons, air-to-air missiles such as the MAA-1 Piranha, and other kinds of rockets and bombs. The AMX A-1A is a perfect vehicle for CAS in ground RB with its guided bombs, capable of making easy work of enemy tanks.