Embraer and Saab have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to jointly explore business development and
engineering opportunities.
The companies will work together to position the
C-390 Millennium aircraft as the preferred solution for the
Swedish Air Force’s tactical air transport requirements and will
evaluate the possible integration of Saab equipment and systems
into the multi-mission plane.
The two businesses will also pursue new
opportunities, including potential future customers of the Gripen,
in Brazil and Latin America, considering the use of the Gripen
Design and Development Network (GDDN), the Gripen Flight Test
Center (GFTC) and the final assembly line at Embraer, in Gavião
Peixoto.
In addition, Saab and Embraer will collaborate on
engineering and technical future fighter studies,
consolidating the transfer of technology carried out by Saab for
the Brazilian defense industry within the current Gripen program
for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). This work will help to support the
future growth of Gripen E out to 2060 and other future fighter
needs as they arise.
“Saab and Embraer are two world leaders in the
aerospace segment, recognized for the excellence of their
engineering and products. I view this MOU with extreme optimism,
as I am sure that the two companies together can further grow
their business in various markets around the world,” said Bosco da
Costa Junior, President and CEO, Embraer Defense & Security.
Gripen E/F is a multi-role fighter aircraft system
that
incorporates cutting-edge technologies, systems,
sensors, weapons, and pods to ensure
air superiority in highly contested environments.
In 2014 Saab and the Brazilian Government signed the contract to
supply the Brazilian Air Force with 36 Gripen aircraft, which
includes not only the aircraft, but also logistical support,
weapons, support systems, simulators, training and development.
The Gripen programme represents the most extensive technology
transfer ever done by Saab, which is driving the development of
Brazil´s Defence Industry through local companies, having Embraer
as its main strategic partner in the country.
“Our two companies have worked together to deliver an
outstanding capability for Brazil that will last for decades. This
MOU is an important and gratifying step toward growing that
co-operation into new areas between Saab and Embraer that goes
beyond Brazil, while maximising our existing achievements,” said
Micael Johansson, Saab’s President and CEO.
The
C-390 Millennium can carry a payload of 26 tons and fly at 470 knots.
It is capable of performing a wide
range of missions such as transporting and dropping cargo and
troops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting and humanitarian missions,
and can operate on temporary or unpaved runways – including packed earth, soil and gravel.
In
its refueling version (KC-390), the aircraft has already proven its
worth in delivering fuel to other aircraft, but can itself also receive
fuel from another KC-390 using pods installed under the wings.
