FAB And Embraer Announce Plan for KC-390 Initial Acquisition

Brazilian Air Force intends to acquire 28 of the series aircraft.



Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) announced today, in a press conference at the 47th Farnborough International Airshow, in England, FAB´s intention of making a future purchase of 28 KC-390 aircraft .

The development program for the new military jet transport was signed by FAB and Embraer in April 2009 during the seventh edition of Latin America Aero and Defence (LAAD) in Rio de Janeiro.

“The Brazilian Air Force has been Embraer’s most important strategic partner since the Company was founded in 1969,” stated Orlando José Ferreira Neto, Embraer Executive Vice President – Defense Market. “This announcement reinforces Embraer´s motivation and commitment to conceive a state-of-the-art product that should exceed FAB requirements and overall market expectations.”

The project is moving ahead according to plan and the preliminary studies phase was successfully concluded. The first flight of the airplane is expected for 2014 and entry into service for the end of 2015. The most relevant wind tunnel tests campaigns have been concluded, allowing aerodynamic, structural and system configurations freezing.

The KC 390 cargo capacity should exceed the initial requirement and achieve 23.6 tons. A full-size model of the cargo hold was built to assess the aircraft internal space and typical cargo operations. The results of these evaluations have confirmed the aircraft’s great versatility.

The KC-390 will feature Computed Air Release Point (CARP) technology integrated with the fly-by-wire system, which will bring greater accuracy to air dropping while lowering crewworkload. The airplane will incorporate a modern avionics system, including two Head-Up Displays (HUD) and a complete self-defense system. The KC-390 operation will be fully compatible with Night Vision Goggles (NVG) technology.

Faster than its competitors, the aircraft will be capable of operating from short and semiprepared runways. Included in its mission portfolio are troops and cargo transportation in diverse and challenging environments such as the Antarctica and Amazon regions, in-flight refueling, search and rescue (SAR) and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).

Source:
July 22, 2010 by São José dos Campos (defpro.com)


(11.02.2011)