Brazilian prime Embraer Defense & Security announced on 14 March that it is partnering with Singapore’s ST Engineering to jointly investigate future collaboration in key areas such as engineering, maintenance, and support service activities for the Embraer C-390 Millennium multirole transport aircraft in the Asia Pacific region.
The latest announcement – which Embraer stated will reinforce its aerospace and defence presence through strategic partnerships – follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that had been quietly signed between the two companies during the recently concluded Singapore Airshow 2024 in February.
Embraer added that both companies will also work together on products and services including radars and land systems, (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Information/Intelligence, Surveillance, Targeting Acquisition and Reconnaissance (C4ISTAR), border security, simulation and advanced production technologies which will support ST Engineering’s portfolio of capabilities in the South American market.
“We see strong synergies between ST Engineering’s capabilities in defense and the MRO sector and Embraer Defense & Security’s complete line of integrated solutions and we look forward to fostering stronger ties with ST Engineering,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO at Embraer Defense & Security.
“The C-390 Millennium is a flagship product for Embraer Defense & Security, and it received a lot of attention at the recent Singapore Airshow. We look forward to growing our customer base in the region,” he added.
Embraer stated that the C-390 can carry a 26-ton payload, more than other medium-sized military transport aircraft currently on the market, and also offers more speed and range.
The company earlier announced a partnership with India’s Mahindra Defence Systems have to jointly offer the C-390 Millennium multirole tactical airlifter for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) acquisition programme.
The IAF is understood to be seeking to acquire between 40 and 80 transport aircraft under the MTA project. The service earlier released a request for information (RFI) in February 2023 that stipulated that MTA contenders are required to have a cargo-carrying capacity of between 18 and 30 tons.
Embraer is looking to continue building momentum for the C-390 in the Asia Pacific after securing a contract in December with South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to equip the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) under the US$544 million Large Transport Aircraft (LTA) II programme.
Under LTA II, Embraer will provide an undisclosed number of specially configured C-390 Millennium aircraft, as well as ancillary services and training, ground support equipment as well as spare parts.
The C-390 aircraft was selected over Lockheed Martin’s C-130J Super Hercules – which the RoKAF already uses – and the Airbus Defence & Space A400M Atlas.
According to Embraer, South Korea is the C-390 Millennium’s first customer in Asia and the seventh country to have selected the type after Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, and Czech Republic.
The C-390 first entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019 and most recently with the Portuguese Air Force in 2023. Embraer claims that the current fleet of aircraft in operation has accumulated over 11,500 flight hours, with operational availability of around 80% and mission completion rates above 99%, demonstrating exceptional reliability and productivity in the medium tactical airlifter category.
The Republic of Singapore presently operates KC-130B and C-130H platforms, which have been acquired from the 1980s are are facing obsolescence despite being upgraded around 2014.
by Jr Ng
