Embraer C-390. KC-390

Chile’s Air Force declares its intention to acquire six of the military transport jets

Embraer took part in a ceremony, today, in Santiago, Chile, where the Brazilian and Chilean Defense Ministers signed a Declaration of Intention for that country’s participation in the program of the KC-390 military transport jet. Based on this agreement, Chile’s National Aeronautical Enterprise (Empresa Nacional de Aeronáutica – ENAER) becomes engaged in the discussions about the development of the airplane and in supplying part of its structure. The declaration also marks the beginning of negotiations regarding the future acquisition of six KC-390 aircraft to equip the Chilean Air Force (FACH).

“We recently received an unmistakable show of support for the KC-390 from the Brazilian government, with the declaration of intention for an initial acquisition of 28 of the aircraft by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). We are very pleased to have Chile join is in this program,” said Orlando José Ferreira Neto, Embraer Executive Vice President, Defense Market. “We have an excellent relationship with ENAER, and we hope to see it grow even more via this partnership that not only reveals the high regard of the Chilean government for the KC-390, which we consider to be a winning product, but also shows our mutual interest in integrating the defense industrial bases of both countries.”

The successful partnership between Brazil and Chile dates back to the ‘90s, when ENAER began to stand out as a supplier of structures for the 50-seat ERJ 145 regional jet, manufactured by Embraer. In 2008, the FACH ordered 12 Super Tucano airplanes by Embraer for pilot tactical training missions, all of which have been delivered and are in operation.

“We are very pleased and proud to see that the quality of the work done by our personnel is being recognized, thus allowing use to participate in this new and relevant program for producing an aircraft like the KC-390,” satated ENAER’s CEO, General Pedro Bascuñan. “Participating in the project brings benefits not only to Embraer and ENAER, but also to both nations, by generating jobs and boosting industrial development. The possibility of working together on the KC-390 program comes as an important alternative for stimulating the manufacture of aeronautical structures in our facilities. We are grateful for the interest show by Embraer in working with us, every time they begin developing new aircraft, whether civilian, commercial, or military.”

Last July, at the Farnborough International Air Show, in England, Embraer and the FAB announced the intent of the Brazilian government to make an initial purchase of 28 KC-390 jets to renew the Air Force fleet. The agreement released today marks a new phase in the relationship between the two nations and between Embraer and ENAER.

Embraer, Colombia in talks for defense plane order

* Embraer, Colombia gov't sign letter of intent
* Company expects to have plane ready by 2015
* Chile signaled possible order last month
SAO PAULO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer signed a letter of intent with the Colombian government on Wednesday to help develop a military transport plane, in another step aimed at diversifying from its core market of regional aircraft.
The Colombian government, which since 2002 has revamped its armed forces as part of a push to end decades of guerrilla insurgency, could order as many as 12 KC-390 planes -- as the cargo plane is known -- the company said in a statement.
As part of the deal, Embraer could build a plane-parts factory in the Andean nation. Colombia's air force has been a client of Embraer for more than two decades.
The deal is the third in about two months for Embraer's defense unit, after the Brazilian and Chilean governments entered contract talks. The KC-390, which is expected to operate as early as 2015, has a cargo capacity of 23.6 tonnes.
...

Portugal could acquire six Embraer KC-390 tactical transports following the signature of a declaration of intent by defence minister Augusto Santos Silva and his Brazilian counterpart Nelson Jobim.
Lisbon's show of support further strengthens Embraer's developmental KC-390, coming swiftly after Chile and Colombia made similar commitments to the programme worth a combined 18 aircraft.
"The agreement marks the beginning of negotiations for Portuguese companies to join the project and to participate in the manufacture of the new airplane, as well as the future acquisition of six aircraft for the Portuguese air force," says Embraer.
"We have strong historic ties of bilateral co-operation with Portugal, and are very enthusiastic about their future participation in the KC-390 programme, which will contribute decisively to strengthening that country's aeronautics cluster," says company chief executive Frederico Fleury Curado.
The Brazilian air force is expected to be the launch operator of the KC-390 twinjet, with the service having identified an initial requirement for 28 examples. Embraer has yet to freeze the tanker/transport's final design configuration, or to confirm its main equipment suppliers.



Portugal's commitment represents a blow to Airbus Military, which assembles the A400M in neighbouring Spain. Lisbon was previously interested in the larger design, but withdrew from the European programme before its formal launch in 2003.
The Portuguese air force already operates 15 of Airbus Military's C-212 light and C-295 medium transports, plus six Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules, as listed in Flightglobal's MiliCAS database.

The United Arab Emirates is the latest nation targeted by Brazil to join Embraer's KC-390 tanker/transport programme as a supplier and customer.

Brazilian defence minister Nelson Jobim on 19 September met with Gen H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces.

Jobim says a possible agreement on military co-operation in negotiation between the countries could include Abu Dhabi's participation in the KC-390 programme. Such a deal also would involve UAE interest in the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano, he says.

An agreement on the KC-390 could take several months to reach fruition, but would likely follow along the lines of Embraer's international participation strategy for the project.

The existing five-nation partnership for the KC-390 is based on adapting Embraer's risk-sharing development model to the military market, says Jairo Sotério, the company's marketing and business development manager for defence programmes.

Each partnership requires three separate agreements - government-to-government, air force-to-air force and industry-to-industry, he says. The goal is to ensure that each member of a nation's military-industrial complex is vested in the programme's success.

So far, Embraer has signed agreements to produce a possible 54 aircraft for Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

The company has identified a potential market for nearly 700 aircraft, the first of which should enter service after 2015. The KC-390 will carry a maximum cargo of 23.6t, Embraer announced in July, with this marking a nearly 20% increase over previous estimates.

Embraer still has not identified an engine supplier for the KC-390. Marketing materials have depicted the aircraft powered by engines resembling the CFM International CFM56 and International Aero Engines V2500.

Argentina plans to buy Embraer military transport planes

* Argentina is 6th country pledged to buy KC-390 plane

* Embraer expects deliveries as early as 2015

* Planes could be made in Argentina under accord

By Guillermo Parra-Bernal

SAO PAULO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Argentina signed a letter of intent to buy as many as six military transport planes built by Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer, the sixth country that pledged orders for the aircraft.

Argentina's defense minister, Nilda Garre, and her Brazilian counterpart, Nelson Jobim, signed the letter this week, Embraer said in a statement. The accord includes plane maker Fabrica Argentina de Aviones taking part in the development of the KC-390 transport plane with Embraer.

The deal is the sixth in about three months for Embraer's defense unit after Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic and Portugal entered contract talks. The plane is expected to operate as early as 2015 and has a cargo capacity of 23.6 tonnes.

Embraer is seeking to diversify from making regional aircraft into the production of executive and defense jets to weather the worst market for commercial aviation in decades. Countries like Brazil are stepping up defense spending to protect their recent finds of oil and other natural resources seen as strategic.

"This is a show of strong interest for the KC-390, which makes it evident that this new product is adapting to the requirements of the military transport industry," Orlando Jose Ferreira Neto, Embraer's vice president for the defense business segment, said in the statement.

With the Argentine deal, potential orders for the plane rose to 60. Embraer will produce up to 180 cargo planes in the first 10 years of operation of the program, and has said potential demand could reach up to 700 units in the same period.

Embraer has frozen the configuration of its KC-390 tanker/transport and plans to begin the joint definition phase in May, after the Brazilian air force - which is paying for development - has made the final decisions on the major suppliers.


Photos and graphics: Embraer

Myself, Steve Trimble of Flightglobal and John Reed of military.com got a chance on Feb. 22 to look over the full-scale cabin mockup in Hangar X-30 at the air force's CTA (Comando-Geral de Technologia Aerospacial), adjacent to Embraer's plant in Sao Jose do Campos.

The KC-390 is a big aircraft; the biggest Embaer has designed and bigger than the aircraft it is being developed to compete against - Lockheed Martin's C-130J. The cargo compartment is 17.75m long, compared with 16.9m for the stretched C-130J-30; 3.45m wide (vs 3.12m); 2.9m high forward of the wing (vs 2.74m) and 3.2m aft of the wing to make it easier to load/unload vehicles via the ramp.



One unusual feature of the mockup which we could not understand and for which I don't yet have a full explanation - a movable pressure bulkhead that retracts garage door-style into the roof and descends to seal the cargo cabin. When down, this sloping bulkhead reduces compartment length to 12.78m at the ceiling. We couldn't think of another airlifter with this feature.

The KC-390's design has changed significantly since 2007, when Embraer first revealed its studies of a military airlifter, then called the C-390, based heavily on its Embraer 190 regional airliner. At that point, using the wings, tail, engines and avionics of the E-190, the aircraft had a design payload of 19 tonnes.

C-390 (left) vs KC-390

Today, the KC-390 is an all-new aircraft with a design maximum payload of 23t, comfortably exceeding the C-130J's 21.8t. Range is 2,600nm with a 14.7t payload, 2,000nm with the 19t required by the Brazilian air force, and 1,400nm with the full 23t. Maximum cruise is Mach 0.8 and altitude 36,000ft.

Recent changes to the design have included increasing wing span in response to customer requests that the KC-390 be able to refuel helicopters, as well as fighters. This requires the ability to refuel at speeds down to 120kt and altitudes below 10,000ft. Wing span is now 35.06m.

As a tanker, the KC-390 has two underwing hose-and-drogue pods and a refueling probe (or receptacle). Some potential customers want to equip the aircraft with a refueling boom. Embraer is looking at a removable boom that could be mounted on the ramp, but hasn't settled on a workable design yet.



The KC-390 is scheduled to fly in mid-2014 and enter service with the Brazilian air force in 2016, and Embraer says the program is on track. It's hard not to walk around the mockup and think about the challenge Embraer has taken on developing an aircraft of this size and capability - but the company says it's aware where the risks are and has taken steps to invest early in reducing them.