São Paulo – The Brazilian aircraft manufacturing company Embraer has launched this Monday (21st) the first prototype of the military transport aircraft KC-390, made at the company’s Gavião Peixoto unit in the state of São Paulo. According to Brazil’s Ministry of Defence, this is the largest, most modern aircraft ever made in the country. The prototype is a joint project between Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB, in the Portuguese acronym) and was presented to the press during an event attended by the minister of Defence, Celso Amorim, and of the FAB commander, lieutenant-brigadier general Juniti Saito. "Moments such as this fill us with pride. This aircraft is a prodigy of technological prowess,” said the minister.
According to the company, the aircraft should undergo ground testing before its first flight, which is expected to take place before the end of the year. “The KC-390 will be the backbone of FAB’s aviation-based transportation. It can operate both in the Amazon and the Antarctic. The unit’s jet turbines make it very agile, and it will accomplish every mission more swiftly,” said the commander.
In May this year, Embraer and FAB signed an agreement for mass production of the aircraft, with a delivery forecast of 28 units in ten years. The Ministry of Defence has announced that delivery of the first batch is scheduled for 2016. Embraer has received purchase intentions for the KC-390 from countries such as Chile, Argentina, Colombia, the Czech Republic and Portugal.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
