Why Embraer’s C-390 Millennium’s star is on the rise
The medium airlift aircraft is swiftly becoming the top pick for an array of countries wishing to enhance their tactical transport capabilities.
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has signed a new MoU with the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) for ‘potential strategic collaboration relating to aerospace research’, the two organisations announced on 23 November.
Among the research areas included in the MoU are defence systems, to build on a history of collaboration between Embraer and the NLR on aircraft such as the KC-390 Millennium.
‘In this context, the two companies are already discussing potential opportunities related to automated maintenance procedures,’ Embraer and NLR noted.
The latest announcement follows an MoU between Embraer and the Netherlands Aerospace Group in September 2021 to discuss potential strategic relationships in the fields of aviation and sustainability.
The medium airlift aircraft is swiftly becoming the top pick for an array of countries wishing to enhance their tactical transport capabilities.
Other countries, including Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Latvia, have also donated funds towards drones and maritime training for Ukraine.
The contracts include a $678.4-million contract for F-35 modification kits, along with an earlier December 2024 contract worth $11.7 billion for the production and delivery of 145 F-35 Lot 18 aircraft.
Despite local media reports, an analyst has suggested that the country could be using these discussions as a way to gain bargaining power to bolster its bid to join the Global Combat Air Programme.
Work on the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) kit production is expected to conclude by 2030. It will provide the USAF’s F-15E and F-15EX aircraft with the latest electronic warfare (EW) countermeasure system.
According to Leonardo, the rotorcraft will conduct its first flight by mid-2025, following on from its £60 million (US$ 75 million) contract award in July 2022.