Could the Embraer KC-390 be the new transport aircraft for the Mexican Air Force? (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Matti Blume)
Embraer took its KC-390 military transport aircraft to show officials from the Mexican Air Force what it could do, en route from the Farnborough International Air Show to its home in Brazil.
The demonstration aircraft, registration PT-ZNG, stopped off at Air Base No. 1 in Santa Lucia, and flew for an hour and a half, advertising its abilities up close and personal for the Mexican military.
Mexico has for some time been looking for a replacement for its two C-130K and one L-100-30 Hercules aircraft.
There is nothing to overtly suggest that becoming that replacement is the reason why Embraer stopped off in Mexico. After all, the KC-390 spent three days in Ireland immediately after leaving Farnborough, showing off its capabilities and performing local flights in and around Dublin, before heading to spend a comparatively brief time being put through its paces in Mexico.
Mexico and Brazil, however, have a longstanding positive relationship and Embraer recently closed a large deal in Mexico with the civilian state-owned airline Mexicana de Aviación. The airline bought 20 E2 jets from the aircraft manufacturer. Those two factors argue strongly in favour of the KC-390 as a potential replacement for the older aircraft.
Given Mexico’s need to replace its Hercules aircraft, the KC-390’s brief detour to put on a show for the Mexican Air Force could yet prove advantageous to Embraer’s order book.
Any decision by Mexico to invest in the KC-390, however, could take time coming. More than a decade ago, the Mexican Air Force was said to be on the brink of replacing its aircraft with the C-130J Super Hercules. It was also said to be thinking of potentially switching to the Airbus A400M for its main military transport aircraft. As it stands, it has bought neither aircraft as its Hercules replacement.
Mexico’s existing planes are now 10 years older than they were when the Super Hercules and the Airbus were the best available replacement options. Whether that fact, plus an hour and a half of test flight on board the KC-390, will be enough to seal the Mexican deal for Embraer remains to be seen.
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