Embraer Announces Discussions On Partnering With Colombia In
KC-390 Program
In a ceremony held Thursday in Brasilia, Embraer and the defense
ministers of Brazil and Colombia signed a Declaration of Intent for
Brazil's neighboring country to take part in the development
program and in the production of the KC-390 military transport jet.
This is the first step toward bilateral negotiations that will
establish the terms and conditions of Colombia's participation in
the program, and which could result in setting up a factory for
machined parts in that country, and the purchase of 12 KC-390
airplanes by the Colombian government.
"Colombia was the launch customer of the Super Tucano on the
international market," said Orlando Jose Ferreira Neto, Embraer
Executive Vice President, Defense Market. "The development of an
aeronautics hub in Colombia will strengthen even more the
cooperation between the technological and industrial defense bases
of both nations."
The relationship between Embraer and the Colombian Air Force
(FAC) dates back approximately 20 years. The FAC has operated 14
Tucano planes, since 1992, which are used to train pilots, as well
as two EMB 110 Bandeirante aircraft to transport personnel. Added
to these aircraft is a fleet of 25 Super Tucano training and light
attack turboprops. In the commercial aviation segment, Colombia's
state-run SATENA (Servicio Aereo a Territorios Nacionales) airline
flies five ERJ 145 and two EMBRAER 170 jets, with 50 and 76 seats,
respectively, serving 43 destinations throughout the country.
"By beginning these conversations for setting forth Colombia's
participation in the development of the KC-390 airplane, and
actually being part of the program itself, we are taking big steps
to significantly speed up the development of the country's
aeronautics industry, through the Colombian Aeronautics Industry
Corporation (CIAC), not only because we will increment our
engineering capacities, but because we are very proud to join this
project with Embraer," said the Air Marshal Flavio Ulloa, Colombian
Air Force Chief of Logistical Operations. "With Embraer's more than
40 years of experience in developing airplanes, and the experience
of the Colombian Air Force in the operational area, we will be able
to work together to make the KC-390 one of the most modern and
versatile aircraft for handling different types of missions,
whether military or commercial, and we thank Embraer for allowing
us to be a part of this project."
Colombia joins Chile, which also signed a Declaration of Intent
for participating in the military jet transport program. The
purchase intents of the Colombian, Chilean and Brazilian air forces
total 46 KC-390 aircraft, 28 of which by the FAB, 12 by the FAC,
and another six by the Chilean Air Force (FACH).
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